Ukraine war in the live ticker+++ 21:25 After Starlink, Ukraine wants to block mesh networks for Moscow’s drones +++
Russian drones controlled online in mesh networks represent a new challenge for the Ukrainian army. Previously, Ukraine managed to block Starlink terminals on Russian drones. But the importance of mesh networks for drone control should not be underestimated, says Serhiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to the Ministry of Defense, in an interview with the Ukrainian radio station NV. A mesh network is an intelligent WiFi system in which multiple nodes (mesh routers/repeaters) work together to form a single, seamless network with a single network name and password. “You understand how it works: when a Shahed drone flies with GPS data, it can hit, for example, the center of a substation. However, if a Shahed drone is controlled online during the attack, a pilot in Russia can direct it exactly at the same critical point in the substation – the same transformer – at the same angle,” says Beskrestnov.
+++ 20:37 Report: Great Britain threatens to confiscate Russian tankers +++
Britain threatens to seize tankers linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. This is reported by the British newspaper “The Guardian”, citing British defense circles. During discussions with NATO allies, military options for seizing ships that violate the agreement were discussed. “The Royal Navy could take action under maritime law against any number of ships because they are effectively stateless. But it has not done so because there are risks of escalation,” said Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd’s List, a shipping trade magazine. Last month, the Royal Marines briefed British MPs and members of the House of Lords on the Russian threat. One participant says the Marines are “standing in the starting blocks” waiting for the order to seize a ship.
+++ 19:39 Putin thanks the President of the Emirates for “cooperation between the secret services” +++
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and thanked him for the “cooperation of the intelligence services.” This is reported by the Russian service of Radio Liberty, citing the Kremlin press service. Details: According to the Kremlin, Putin particularly thanked UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the support of the Emirati side in the arrest of a suspect. It concerns a person who was allegedly involved in an assassination attempt on Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, the first deputy head of the Russian Main Intelligence Service (GRU).
+++ 18:54 Slovak President calls MiG-29 delivery to Ukraine “mistake” +++
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini describes the previous government’s decision to deliver MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as a “mistake.” This means that Slovakia is completely dependent on its neighbors for air defense, with no substitute, Pellegrini writes on Facebook. Pellegrini, who was prime minister at the time, says he ordered the MiG-29 fleet to be maintained in combat readiness until new American F-16s could take over their role. “To this day I consider it a mistake that Slovakia got rid of its MiG fighter jets, for which it had no replacement at the time,” he writes.
+++ 18:16 Zelenskyj: First drone from production in Germany in February +++
In mid-February, Kyiv expects the first Ukrainian drones from a production facility in Germany. “I will receive the first drone. This is a production line that is already working,” says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. There is also already functioning production in Great Britain using “our Ukrainian technology”. Due to constant Russian air strikes, Kiev is seeking to relocate the production of war-critical weapons, especially drones, to allied states such as Germany, Denmark and Great Britain.
+++ 17:29 Klitschko reports explosions in Kyiv – “Air defense is active” +++
The Russian military has again attacked targets in the Ukrainian capital Kiev with ballistic missiles. “Explosions in the capital. […] The anti-aircraft defense is active,” writes Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Telegram. A good half a dozen explosions were heard in the center of the city of three million people. Russia has increased attacks on energy plants this winter. In Kiev, the majority of residents only have electricity for a few hours a day. In the eastern part of the city, the district heating supply for many apartment blocks has failed.
+++ 16:54 Ischinger: Berlin should give Warsaw submarines, frigates and battle tanks +++
In view of the threat from Russia on NATO’s eastern flank, the head of the Munich Security Conference believes Germany should give weapons to its neighbor Poland – such as a submarine, a frigate or some battle tanks. The defense performance of the “front-line state” Poland also protects Germany, says Wolfgang Ischinger to “Welt”. “And from a Polish perspective there is the unresolved issue of reparations that is still floating around.” He goes on to say that Germany now has a lot of money for defense. A small part of this could go to Poland. “I find the idea inspiring,” says Ischinger.
+++ 16:27 Ukraine denies involvement in assassination attempt on Russian lieutenant general +++
Ukraine was not involved in the assassination attempt on Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU), Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha told the Reuters news agency. “We don’t know what happened to this general – perhaps it was internal power struggles within the Russian army,” says Sybiha. The Russian domestic intelligence service FSB claimed that the assassination attempt on Alekseev was ordered by Ukraine. According to the FSB, a man suspected of shooting and wounding the Russian general in Moscow was arrested in Dubai. The person arrested is Russian citizen Lyubomir Korba, born in 1960 in the Ukrainian Ternopil Oblast. According to the FSB, Korba acted on behalf of the Ukrainian security service. He was extradited from Dubai to Moscow.
+++ 15:55 Ukrainian TV – how journalists work in war +++
In Ukraine, journalists work under the most difficult circumstances and often at risk to their own lives. Yet many of them don’t think about quitting. They see it as their job to shed light on Russia’s war crimes. ntv reporter Nadja Kriewald accompanies her Ukrainian colleagues on one of the rare bright spots.
+++ 15:23 Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Only Trump can end war +++
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha is urging a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to clarify the final points of contention in the peace negotiations. But only US President Donald Trump has the power to bring about an agreement, Sybiha told the Reuters news agency. “Only Trump can end the war.” Ukraine wants to accelerate efforts to end the four-year war and use the momentum of US-brokered talks before other factors such as the US midterm elections in November come into play.
+++ 14:54 Russian governor: 80,000 people without heating +++
According to authorities, the Russian city of Belgorod is struggling with the consequences of Ukrainian attacks from the previous day. According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, 80,000 people there were cut off from heat supplies that morning, 3,000 had no gas and 1,000 had no electricity. With Western help, Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for almost four years. As part of its defensive campaign, it repeatedly attacks targets in Russia. The damage is disproportionate to the devastating consequences of Russian attacks in Ukraine. Russia is systematically attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. As a result of Russian attacks, many people continue to have no heat, electricity or water supply, and recently the temperatures have been in double-digit temperatures.
+++ 14:25 Current talks “counterproductive for a ceasefire” +++
According to security expert Frank Umbach, the rumors about a mega-deal between Russia and the USA show once again: Washington under Donald Trump is primarily interested in its own advantages – at the expense of Ukraine.
+++ 14:01 Report: Pro-Ukrainian partisans paralyze military infrastructure in Belgorod, Russia +++
The pro-Ukrainian partisan group Atesh has paralyzed the communications infrastructure in Russia’s Belgorod region. That reports “The Kyiv Independent” citing information from the partisan group, which shares images of the “successful sabotage operation” on Telegram. “An agent of our movement set fire to a hardware module at the base of a communications tower,” it says Message on Telegram. “As a result of the destruction of the ground equipment, all equipment installed on the mast was completely de-energized and rendered inoperable.” As early as January 2026, members of the pro-Ukrainian group reported the arson at a substation in Izhesk, Russia, as a “successful sabotage operation” on social media.
+++ 13:37 Zelenskyj: Russia’s attacks are becoming more and more brutal +++
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia deployed more than 2,000 combat drones, 1,200 glide bombs and 116 rockets and cruise missiles last week alone. “Almost every day they attack energy plants, logistical infrastructure and residential buildings,” Zelensky writes on social media. This happens even during diplomatic peace efforts. The attacks are becoming more frequent and increasingly brutal, he explains.
+++ 13:00 Ukraine: Russia drops a 250 kilo FAB bomb over Kramatorsk +++
On Sunday morning, the Russian army dropped a 250-kilo FAB aerial bomb over the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region. This is shared, among other things, by the region’s public prosecutor’s office Telegram with. Accordingly, the FAB struck near a residential building. A 77-year-old pensioner is said to have suffered a life-threatening injury. According to the public prosecutor’s office, three other men aged 40, 46 and 48 suffered splinter injuries, mine explosion injuries, bruises and stab wounds. In total, at least several houses and cars are said to have been damaged.
+++ 12:27 Ukraine: Russia attacks oil facilities again +++According to the Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, Russia attacked its facilities in the eastern Poltava region. The company said damage was caused. “This is the 19th targeted attack on the group’s facilities since the beginning of the year,” it said. There is currently no statement from the Russian side. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced gains in terrain. The armed forces have taken the towns of Hlushivka in the Kharkiv region and Sydorivka in the Sumy region, Russian agencies report, citing the ministry. The information could not initially be independently verified.
UkraineAttacks on civilian infrastructure
+++ 11:48 Report: Russian military reports direct hit on Ukrainian ammunition depot in Kostiantynivka +++
The Southern Troop of the Russian Armed Forces is said to have used a Russian “Molniya” FPV kamikaze drone to destroy a Ukrainian military ammunition depot near the town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region. This is reported by the Russian state news agency, Tass, citing information from the Russian Ministry of Defense. “The precise hit caused the target to explode and destroyed the camp,” according to Tass. During this same action, the southern troops are said to have destroyed a generator and a Ukrainian army shelter, according to Tass, citing information from the Russian Defense Ministry.
+++ 11:00 ISW: Russians advance near Kostyantynivka +++
Russian forces are said to have advanced to the front in the Donetsk region. This is what the analysts write Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in their latest report. Accordingly, the Russian military was able to capture two positions in the southwest of the city of Kostiantynivka. In their report, the ISW analysts refer to geolocated images and film material from the past few days.
+++ 10:14 Ukraine publishes figures on Russian losses +++
The Ukrainian General Staff publishes new casualty figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. Accordingly, Russia is said to have lost around 1,246,330 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. Within 24 hours alone, the number of casualties was 1,040. According to the report from Kiev, among other things, a tank, eight artillery systems and 468 drones were also destroyed. According to Ukraine, Russia is said to have lost a total of 11,651 tanks, 37,044 artillery systems, 1,295 anti-aircraft systems and 435 aircraft, 347 helicopters, 127,549 drones, 28 ships and two submarines since the start of the major attack. Western estimates state lower loss figures – although these are only minimum values.
+++ 09:32 Zelenskyj: Ukraine imposes sanctions on suppliers of Russian weapons components +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is imposing sanctions on foreign manufacturers of components for Russian drones and missiles. The production of these weapons would be impossible without critical foreign components that Russia obtains by circumventing sanctions, writes Zelenskyj on Platform X. He has signed the relevant resolutions against suppliers and manufacturers.
+++ 08:53 Russia: Suspected assassin of general extradited +++
After the attack on a high-ranking Russian military intelligence officer in Moscow, the suspected shooter was caught, according to the domestic intelligence service FSB. The FSB said the man was arrested in Dubai and extradited to Russia. He is accused of having shot Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of the GRU military intelligence service.
+++ 08:12 Report: Russia is sending new, modernized tanks to the front in Ukraine +++
Russia is supplying new and modernized equipment to Russian forces in the contested areas in Ukraine. This is reported by the state news agency Tass. “The presence of new and modernized military technology in the special operations zone is constantly increasing,” says Bekkhan Ozdoyev, head of the armaments department of the Russian state-owned company Rostec in an interview with Tass, where Ozdoyev means the contested areas in Ukraine by “special operations zone”. Currently, Rostec would continue to develop and improve the tank models “T 90M “Proryv””, “T 72B3M” and “T 80BVM”, all based on Soviet tanks. According to Ozdoyev, Rostec has significantly increased tank production. “We won’t run out of tanks,” he says. At the same time, Ozzdoyev denies the claims of Western politicians that Russia supposedly no longer has any modern tanks and now has to send old ones to the front, reports Tass.
+++ 07:34 Ukraine: Armed forces repel more than 60 Russian attacks on the front +++
There are said to have been 241 battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces on the front in the past 24 hours. That reports Ukrinform citing information from the Ukrainian General Staff. Accordingly, the Ukrainian military is said to have repelled more than 60 Russian attacks in the front areas near Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka.
+++ 07:02 Ukraine: Russia attacks Kharkiv with drones +++
After midnight, the Russians attacked areas in the Kharkiv region with a drone. This reports “Ukrainska Pravda“. Halyna Minaeva, the mayor of the city of Chuhuiv in the Kharkiv region, shares Telegram that two residential buildings were damaged after the Russian attacks. At least one person was injured. Emergency services are on site to eliminate the consequences of the shelling and to provide assistance to the residents of the damaged houses.
+++ 06:18 ISW: Russia is using the moratorium to its advantage +++
Russia took advantage of the temporary moratorium to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure. This is what the analysts write Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in their most recent report. In the days surrounding the second round of talks in Abu Dhabi, during which Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives negotiated possible peace terms – above all an end to hostilities – Russia continued to attack Ukraine from the air. The Feb. 2-3 attack used 71 missiles and 450 drones in temperatures that were among the coldest Ukraine had experienced all winter. The fact that Russia carried out two series of attacks with over 400 missiles within six days of the end of the moratorium on energy attacks shows the Kremlin’s determination to maximize the suffering of Ukrainian civilians, ISW analysts said. The ISW analysts also see this as Russia’s “lack of willingness to de-escalate the war or seriously advance the peace negotiations initiated by the USA.” Instead, Russia used the moratorium to its advantage.
+++ 05:31 Klitschko: Kyiv has to prepare for several strong frost nights +++
The next few days will be very challenging for Kiev due to the situation in the energy sector and the extreme cold. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced this on Telegram. “Severe frosts are expected again in the capital, especially at night. Due to the extremely difficult situation in the Ukrainian energy system after another massive enemy attack, emergency power outages continue to occur in most regions of the country. According to the Ministry of Energy, residents of the capital will only receive electricity for one and a half to two hours,” writes Klitschko. He instructs the heads of the city district administrations to ensure the proper operation of the city heating stations, which must provide heat, electricity and food.
+++ 02:52 Kyiv: Russians looking for Starlink way out +++
The Russians are looking for ways to activate Starlink terminals on the front lines. This is reported by Ukrinform, citing a Telegram post by Serhiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to the Ukrainian Defense Minister. “The enemy is looking for ways to activate Starlink. He exchanges his ideas in groups, and these posts then circulate in our groups as well. All his ideas are trivial: sending someone to a government service center to get money, setting up a fake company, removing a Starlink terminal from a captured drone, and so on,” Beskrestnow notes. He emphasizes that all these scenarios were foreseen by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, including risks and countermeasures.
+++ 01:27 General Syrskyj: Ukrainian drone units eliminate almost 30,000 Russian soldiers +++
The Ukrainian Defense Force’s drone units eliminated around 29,700 Russian soldiers in January, exceeding the number of soldiers recruited by Russia in the same month. This is reported by Ukrinform, citing the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrsky. “This war for Ukrainian independence has become a competition of technologies, and drone systems play a leading role in it. The side that achieves and uses technological superiority on the battlefield will win,” says Syrskyj.
+++ 00:14 Orban declares Ukraine an “enemy of Hungary” +++
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared Ukraine the “enemy” of Hungary in a speech at a rally, the Kyiv Independent reports. Orban, who is the Kremlin’s constant advocate within the European Union, repeatedly criticized Kiev and Brussels throughout the war. At a rally in the Hungarian town of Szombathely, Orban rebuked Ukraine for demanding the EU stop imports of cheap Russian energy. “Whoever says that is an enemy of Hungary, so Ukraine is our enemy,” he said.
+++ 22:20 Burshtyn thermal power plant in western Ukraine failed after attacks +++
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region of western Ukraine, the Burshtyn thermal power plant, which is important for the region and belongs to the energy company DTEK, failed completely after Russian attacks with Kalibr missiles and combat drones. “We have no heating, no hot water and no water right now,” said the mayor of the power plant city, Vasyl Andrijeshyn, on Facebook. The situation at the power plant is “very difficult” and must first be investigated. The mayor nevertheless promises that water and district heating supplies will be restored within 48 hours.
+++ 22:03 Zelenskyj sends repair teams to all parts of the country after attacks on energy facilities +++
“Repair and rescue teams are deployed throughout the country,” Ukrainian President Zelensky promised on Telegram in view of numerous attacks on the energy infrastructure. Accordingly, emergency services are deployed from the Volyn region to the border towns of the Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions. In and around Kiev, as well as in central Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia and some other regions, “there is still a lot to do,” admits Zelensky.
+++ 21:20 Russian Belgorod Oblast again affected by power outages +++
For the third time within a week, there are widespread power and heating outages in the Russian Belgorod Oblast, reports regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Accordingly, attacks on energy systems led to massive power outages. Emergency heating stations have been set up for residents.
You can follow all previous developments here.
date: 2026-02-08 18:40:00