Morning briefing of the Ministry of Defense of Russia (24 February – 1 March 2024)

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (24 February – 1 March 2024)
In the period from 24 February to 1 March 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched 23 group strikes with high-precision weapons, multiple launch rocket systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles at Ukraine's military industrial facilities, which were manufacturing reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicles; arsenals, and POL bases.

Moreover, the strikes also hit deployment areas of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, nationalists, and foreign mercenaries.

All the assigned targets have been engaged.

In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line and inflicted fire damage on enemy manpower and hardware near Ivanovka, Peschanoye, and Prikolotnoye (Kharkov region).

In addition, 30 counterattacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 32nd Mechanised Brigade, 77nd Air Mobile Brigade, 95th Air Assault Brigade, and 57th Motorised Rifle Brigade were repelled near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Terny (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses amounted to more than 755 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, six armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, and 23 field artillery guns.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces took more favourable lines and inflicted losses on the AFU 5th and 92nd assault brigades, 28th, 72nd, and 93rd mechanised brigades, 107th and 241st territorial defence brigades near Kleshcheyevka, Bogdanovka, Dyleyevka, Kurdyumovka, Andreyevka, and Krasnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Moreover, 18 counterattacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were repelled near Berestovoye, Krasnogorovka, Georgiyevka, and Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 2,835 Ukrainian troops, seven tanks, 16 armoured fighting vehicles, 49 motor vehicles, as well as 24 field artillery guns.

In Avdeyevka direction, the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Lastochkino, Severnoye, and Petrovoskoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and continued advancing to the west.

In cooperation with aviation and artillery, they inflicted fire damage on clusters of manpower and hardware of the AFU 23rd, 24th, 53rd, 61st, and 110th mechanised, 59th motorised infantry, and 3rd assault brigades, as well as 103rd and 107th territorial defence brigades near Netaylovo, Ochertino, Mayorsk, and Rozovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Forty-eight counterattacks of the enemy assault units were repelled close to Novgorodskoye, Leninskoye, Tonenkoye, Orlovka, and Pervomayskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

In this direction, the enemy has lost over 2,600 Ukrainian troops, 23 tanks (including U.S.-made Abrams), 45 armoured fighting vehicles, 83 motor vehicles, as well as 26 field artillery guns.

In South Donetsk direction, the Vostok Group of Forces' units have improved the frontline situation and repelled seven attacks of AFU assault groups close to Marfopol (Zaporozhye region), Novodonetskoye and Shevchenko (Donetsk People's Republic).

Air strikes and artillery fire hit units of the AFU's 58th motorised infantry, 72nd mechanised, 108th, 121st, 127th, and 128th territorial defence brigades near Vodyanoye, Ugledar, Urozhaynoe, Staromayorskoye, and Rovnopol (Donetsk People's Republic), and Lugovskoye(Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 890 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, six armoured fighting vehicles, 28 motor vehicles, and eight field artillery guns.

In Kherson direction, the Russian troops have taken more advantageous lines and positions, and also repelled seven attacks launched by assault groups of the 117th and 118th mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 15th Ukrainian National Guard close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

Moreover, fire damage was inflicted on personnel and military hardware of the 28th, 65th, and 118th mechanised, 44th air mobile, 128th mountain assault, 35th marine, and 121st territorial defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Verbovoye, Primorye, Novopokrovka, Orekhov, Malaya Tokmachka, and Nesteryanka (Zaporozhye region), Ilyinka (Dnepropetrovsk region), Tokarevka and Dudchany (Kherson region).

The units of the Russian Groups of Forces have neutralised one Ukrainian sabotage group of the 73rd Marine Special Operations Centre in an attempt to land close to Tendra Spit using speedboats.

As a result of a short battle, four of the speedboats with the landing groups were destroyed and sunk. The enemy losses were up to 25 Ukrainian troops, one Ukrainian serviceman was taken prisoner.

In Kherson direction, the enemy's losses over the past week have amounted to over 290 troops, three tanks, four armoured fighting vehicles, 34 motor vehicles, and 16 field artillery guns.

Operational-Tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have neutralised one P-18 radar, two radio detectors and launchers of the S-300 SAM system, Norwegian-made NASAMS vehicle, as well as five Bukovel-AD electronic warfare stations over the past week.

The air defence systems have shot down two MiG-29 fighter jets, one Ukrainian Su-25 ground-attack aircraft, two Storm Shadow cruise missiles, four JDAM guided aerial bombs, 35 HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 639 unmanned aerial vehicles.

In the period from 24 February to 1 March 2024, 16 Ukrainian servicemen have surrendered.

In total, 575 airplanes and 267 helicopters, 13,862 unmanned aerial vehicles, 475 air defence missile systems, 15,304 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,227 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,242 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 19,236 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.