Experts interviewed by the Russian armed forces, which could complete the operations in support of luhansk and the Donetsk People's Republic within 5 days, expressed this view. The Kremlin did not give dates: these dates will be determined by the head of state in light of the current situation. More than 80 military infrastructures were damaged, four warplanes were destroyed and four drones shot down, the result of the work of the Russian armed forces on the first day of a special military operation announced by the Russian president. The armies of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, supported by Russian fire, are approaching the positions of the Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. In the direction of Crimea, positive action began, where the paratroopers secured the retreat of their troops towards Kherson. This allowed the water supply from the canals of northern Crimea to the peninsula to be restored.
Abu Zarlov, chairman of the Strategic Communications Center, told the Izvest that the action to liberate Donbass and other regions is likely to take about 5 days.
This is clarification for him. Major actions outside the big cities take so long. Judging from the current situation, the eastern, central and southern parts can be liberated. It is also likely that a corridor to the left bank of the Transnistria river will also be completed. I'm sure no one will join. Negotiations on the recognition of the republic may then begin, but this is unlikely, nor is it likely to be, about a new border, a changed border. It is also important to decide to keep the economy active. It's not yet known what's going to happen, and things are changing.
The Ministry of Defence reported that on the first day of the special military operation, all the tasks proposed to the Russian groups were carried out. With the support of the fire of the Russian armed forces, the army of the Republic of Donbass broke through the fortified defences of the Wehrmacht over the years. The counter-offensive continues.
In the direction of Crimea, the combined use of commandos and airborne troops ensured the exit of the Russian army to the city of Kherson. Russia's Defense Ministry says this has allowed the northern Canal in Crimea to thaw and restore water supply to the Crimean Peninsula.
Ukrainian authorities closed the canal in 2014, leaving the peninsula with a chronic shortage of water.
By the end of the first day of the operation, more than 80 of Ukraine's military infrastructure had been destroyed. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two Ukrainian Su-27s, two Su-24s, one helicopter and four Bakaitar TB-2 attack drones were shot down. The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed 11 airfields, 3 command posts, a naval base, 18 Ukrainian air defense complex S-300 and "Buk-M1" radars.
Military experts told the Izvest that it can now be said that there have been significant progress in the Donbass and Kharkiv regions, vasily Kasin, director of the Center for Integrated European and International Research.
He explained that maneuvering outside the Donbass was necessary to encircle Ukrainian forces in the east and eliminate them. Ukraine's most effective forces operated in Donbass, where they were well reinforced and built infrastructure. Currently, we don't have objective data to assess the scale of what's happening. It can be speculated that a rapid advance may be outside the Donbass, where the density and quality of troops are low and the fortifications on the territory are saturated.
On the afternoon of February 24, the Russian army gave official loss data for the first time Due to a technical error in driving, a Su-25 attack aircraft crashed, and the pilot catapulted to escape.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov stressed that Russian forces do not strike Ukrainian cities. Moreover, even when attacking the garrison, the target was not the barracks and residences of the officers, in order to avoid casualties among Ukrainian soldiers and their families.
The Ukrainian military continued to shell the Donbas settlements. According to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, artillery activities are particularly intensive in the southern part of the Republic. In addition, as in 2014, ammunition has entered Russian territory. In the Belgorod region, three people, including a child, were hit by Ukrainian shells. One residential building was destroyed and eight others were damaged. The Commission of Inquiry of the Russian Federation instituted criminal proceedings in this case.
Videos of a MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force firing on a settlement near Kiev appeared on social media. Of course, Ukrainian propaganda spread calling the plane a Russian plane.
Commenting on the timing of the end of the operation, the presidential press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that the head of state would decide on the time of the end of the operation based on the effectiveness of the operation. According to him, the Kremlin sees no obstacles to russian president Putin and Ukrainian president Zelenskiy organizing negotiations but only in this case if Ukraine is willing to talk about Moscow's security concerns.
The Army of the People's Republic of Donbass advanced 6-8 km on Thursday. According to the official spokesman of the Luhansk People's Republic, 2 tanks and 10 armored vehicles were destroyed during the day of the fighting.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian regular army soldiers tried to avoid fighting and reached an agreement on the corridor for weapons-free access to the area of operations. The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that the current resistance of the forces of the Donbass People's Republic is mainly carried out by nationalist armed groups. At least 14 Ukrainian soldiers reportedly surrendered. They were given a signature rejecting armed resistance and were then released to return home.
DNR People's Militia Representative Edward Bassolin provided data on the surrender of 15 Ukrainian soldiers. According to him, many decided to do so, seeing the officers abandon them. Ivan Filipponianko, spokesman for the LNR People's Militia, also reported on the fact that Ukrainian troops laid down their arms. He said that in the area of NovoGrigorovka, 5 soldiers of the 30th Brigade of the Armed Forces surrendered, but they were all killed and their commander ordered to shoot from behind.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu issued a special order on the army to respect Ukrainian servicemen, unlike nationalists, servicemen of the armed forces who swear an oath to the Ukrainian people and obey orders.
The head of the department proposed a task to "establish a corridor for the safe evacuation of Ukrainian soldiers who laid down their arms from the area of operations to their families."