Eastern Ukraine has been contested territory since 2014, when Russian-backed fighters seized large swathes of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russia had already seized the southern peninsula of Crimea in February 2014 before annexing it soon afterwards.

There were 165 combat engagements on the frontline over the last day. Almost half of the combat engagements were registered in the Pokrovsk sector, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the latest data, over 108,000 Russian soldiers have died due to the conflict in Ukraine. Among the casualties are over 5,000 officers, highlighting the significant losses among the command.