On the first day of the attacks, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, border guards, rescuers and other special services heroically opposed the enemy. Russian troops captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and Zmiinyi Island, the city of Genichesk. Ukrainian defenders lost 137 soldiers, among them 10 officers, 316 were wounded, there were also civilian casualties. Nevertheless, there is also a list of victories, in particular, 800 enemies killed, numerous surrendered to the Ukrainian army, downed tanks, regained towns of Shchastia on Donbas and Hostomel near Kyiv where the airport is located.
On February 24, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a decree on general mobilization. The mobilization will be carried out throughout Ukraine within 90 days from the date of entry into force of the decree. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine announced restrictions on crossing the border for certain categories of citizens. These are men aged 18 to 60 years.
As of 03.00 of February 25, the Deputy Minister of Defence Hanna Maliar said that 800 Russian soldiers were killed after the first day of invasion. The estimated losses of the enemy were: tanks – more than 30 units, armoured combat vehicles – up to 130 units, aircraft – 7, helicopters – 6.
Certain forces and means were transferred to the defence of the city of Kyiv. The Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that «the insidious plan of the Russian invaders is already clear. The main purpose of the operation is to block Kyiv, create a land corridor to the Crimean peninsula and a self-proclaimed Transnistria.» The Deputy Minister of Defence Hanna Maliar added that the Russian sabotage reconnaissance group was neutralised in Obolon region of Kyiv.
According to Valerii Zaluzhnyi, CinC AF of Ukraine, as of 00:00 on February 25, a group of defence forces is conducting an organized defence operation in the south. Defensive battles are being fought in the area east of Kherson. Mechanized units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to recapture the road bridge and established their positions on the left bank of the Dnieper river.
«Our mechanized units in the Rykove area defeated the overwhelming forces of the enemy. The enemy is destroyed, no success. Defensive battles are being fought in the Siverskyi direction in the Peremoha and Hlukhiv districts [Kyiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine respectively]. The enemy column is stopped. Units of the first tank brigade on the Bilous River in the direction of Chernihiv stopped the overwhelming forces of the occupiers.»
The official adds that in Volhynia region, mechanized units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine took up positions on certain borders in readiness to repel the enemy’s offensive. In the Sumy and Kharkiv regions of Eastern Ukraine, an operational group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducts defence in the areas of the settlements of Dovzhanka, Kharkiv, Okhtyrka, and Sumy.
In the Kharkiv region, defensive battles are being fought in the districts of Vovchansk, Bilyi Kolodyaz, and Prykolotne. Security units in Okhtyrka stopped another enemy offensive. See the online map that shows the ongoing fights:
The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues to fight in the southwestern part of the Black Sea. The bases and ports of Odesa, Yuzhny, Ochakiv, and the Black Sea are being defended.
The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine repulses enemy air strikes, conducts constant reconnaissance using UAVs, strikes on columns of occupation troops in the areas of Nova Zburivka, Kupyansk, Nova Kakhovka and enemy landings near Gostomel airfield.
As a result of hostilities in some areas, groups of the combined forces in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts restored the position on the front line. In the area of responsibility of individual units, the enemy is trying to wedge into the battle formations of our troops to the depth of platoon bases.
By Vitalii Holich
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