Bilohorivka sits at the base of steep chalk hills that have been occupied by Russian forces almost since the start of the war. To get to their positions, Ukrainian troops had to drive a 7-kilometer (4-mile) stretch of road overlooked by Russian artillery. It became known as the road of death.

The Russian Defence Ministry has claimed that over 50 Ukrainian drones have attacked Russian territory and temporarily occupied Crimea on the night of 14-15 November, with Russian air defences allegedly downing 36 of them over Krasnodar Krai.

The United Nations says the Russian military is increasingly attacking Ukraine's civilian population and energy infrastructure with drones. Matthias Schmale, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine,