# special military operation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈspɛʃ.əl ˈmɪl.ɪˌtɛɹ.iː ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ̯.ʃən/

## Definitions
1. A military situation resembling a war; especially the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

## Etymology
Calque of Russian специа́льная вое́нная опера́ция (speciálʹnaja vojénnaja operácija), a phrase used by Vladimir Putin upon launching an attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022:
In this regard, in accordance with Article 51 of Part 7 of the UN Charter, with the approval of the Federation Council of Russia and in pursuance of the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance ratified by the Duma on 22 February with the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic, I decided to launch a special military operation.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/special-military-operation