The Russian Ministry of Defense has reported significant battlefield successes across multiple fronts in Ukraine, stating that coordinated military operations over a 24-hour period resulted in substantial losses for Ukrainian forces. According to the ministry, approximately 1,450 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in clashes, with the heaviest casualties reported on the Center front. This latest report underscores the intense and continuous pressure Russian battle groups are applying, which they state has led to the consolidation of advantageous positions and the encirclement of enemy units in key areas like Dymytrov within the Donetsk People's Republic.
The ministry's report detailed successful advances by several strategic groupings. The "Vostok" forces reported an advance within Ukrainian defensive lines, liberating the Chervonove area in Zaporizhzhia. Simultaneously, other units carried out intensive strikes against Ukrainian formations in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions. In what was described as a response to terrorist attacks on Russian civilian areas, long-range weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, were used to target Ukrainian defensive and industrial facilities, with all objectives reportedly successfully hit. The strikes extended to Ukraine's energy and transport infrastructure, military equipment depots, and positions of foreign mercenaries at 152 locations.
Russian air defenses demonstrated high effectiveness, reportedly intercepting 366 Ukrainian drones and two US-made HIMARS rockets over the past day. The Black Sea Fleet also contributed to the operational success by destroying two unmanned Ukrainian boats. The ministry provided cumulative figures highlighting the scale of the conflict, claiming the destruction of over 100,000 Ukrainian drones, more than 26,000 armored vehicles, and 668 warplanes since the start of its operation.
These military developments occur amid a crucial period of diplomatic engagement. The reports of Russian battlefield gains come as U.S. and Ukrainian officials hold talks, with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a peace proposal. Some Russian officials have suggested that military successes on the ground are positively influencing the negotiating position of the West, giving them a more accurate assessment of the paths to achieving peace. The Kremlin has emphasized a preference for conducting these sensitive negotiations privately, aiming to prevent outside pressure and work toward a settlement.