Aerial warfare in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

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Aerial warfare in the Russian invasion of Ukraine began at dawn of 24 February 2022,^[1] with infantry divisions and armored and air support in Eastern Ukraine, and dozens of missile attacks across Ukraine.^[2][3] The first fighting took place in Luhansk Oblast near the village of Milove on the border with Russia at 3:40 am Kyiv time.^[4] The main infantry and tank attacks were launched in four spearhead incursions, creating a northern front launched towards Kyiv, a southern front originating in Crimea, a south-eastern front launched at the cities of Luhansk and Donbas, and an eastern front.^[5][6] Dozens of missile strikes across Ukraine also reached as far west as Lviv.^[7][8] Drones have also been a critical part of the invasion, particularly in regards to combined arms warfare.^[9][10] Drones have additionally been employed by Russia in striking Ukrainian critical infrastructure,^[11][12] and have been used by Ukraine to strike military infrastructure in Russian territory.^[13][14]