Russian Air Defenses Destroy 462 Ukrainian Drones; Advance in Donetsk Reported

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Russia‘s air defense systems successfully neutralized 462 Ukrainian drones in the last day, as reported by Russia’s Ministry of Defense and cited by RIA Novosti through Mehr News Agency. The ministry’s statement also detailed the liberation of 128 buildings in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk, by Russian forces, with approximately 90 Ukrainian soldiers killed in the engagement in that area. Further advances were noted in the Krasnyi Lyman settlement, where Russian troops reportedly liberated 52 buildings. President Vladimir Putin of Russia recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in the Donbas region on February 21, 2022, citing Western disregard for Moscow’s security concerns. Three days later, on February 24, 2022, President Putin initiated what he termed a “special military operation” against Ukraine, escalating the tense Moscow-Kyiv relations into direct military confrontation. In response, the United States and Western countries have imposed extensive sanctions on Moscow and supplied Kyiv with billions of dollars in military weaponry and equipment.