ORDER OF BATTLE // February 25, 2022
Battle of Starobilsk
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 163,000 estimated
Russia
38,000
Medium-confidence figure
Ukraine
125,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Starobilsk occurred on February 25, 2022, one day into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, within the broader eastern theatre encompassing Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv oblasts. This region became a primary axis of Russian ground operations from the war's outset, and engagements in this area reflected the scale of the initial Russian push into eastern Ukraine. Russia committed approximately 38,000 troops against a substantially larger Ukrainian force of 125,000, with fighting taking place in an urban environment. The eastern theatre as a whole has remained continuously contested since February 2022, making early engagements like Starobilsk part of the foundational phase of a prolonged operational campaign along Ukraine's eastern front.
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