Russian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of February 7 to 8.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 101 Shahed-, Gerbera-, Italmas-, and other drones – of which roughly 70 were Shaheds – from the directions of Kursk, Oryol, and Bryansk cities; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; and Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast.[80] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 69 drones, that 32 drones hit 13 locations, and that drone debris fell at one location. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces struck energy, industrial, religious, residential, and transport infrastructure in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, and Odesa oblasts.[81]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on February 8 that Russian forces launched over 2,000 strike drones, 1,200 guided glide bombs, and 116 missiles against Ukraine in the past week (since roughly February 1) and that Russian forces struck energy, logistical, and residential infrastructure almost daily in the past week.[82]
Winter weather conditions are reportedly affecting Ukraine’s ability to deploy all aspects of its air defense umbrella. Ukrainian Air Force Spokesperson Colonel Yuriy Ihnat stated on February 8 that snowy weather conditions caused low visibility and prevented Ukrainian forces from scrambling F-16 and Mirage fighter jets to intercept Russian missiles during the large-scale Russian strike series on the night of February 6 to 7.[83] Ihnat stated that poor visibility also hindered Ukrainian forces’ ability to guide interceptor drones to their targets during the overnight strikes. Ihnat stated that Russian forces are increasingly using ballistic missiles and that it is difficult for Ukraine to protect all areas of the country because Ukraine’s limited number of Patriot air defense systems have an interception radius of only roughly 25 kilometers. Ihnat noted that Ukraine previously used Soviet-era air defense systems and missiles but is now relying exclusively on Western air defense systems, further limiting the quantity of air defense systems available to Ukraine. ISW continues to assess that Russian forces are trying to exploit Ukraine’s insufficient air defense umbrella, forcing Ukraine to spread its limited systems across a geographically pervasive threat at the front and in the rear.[84]
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Ukrainian forces continue to strike energy infrastructure in Russian border regions. Russian opposition outlet Astra geolocated footage, which indicates that Ukrainian forces struck the Luch Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in Belgorod City on the evening of February 7.[21] Astra reported that the strike caused power outages in the city and nearby areas. Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz claimed on February 7 that Ukrainian forces launched HIMARS rocket artillery and Neptune missile strikes against the oblast, causing heat and power outages.[22]
Parts of Ukraine’s defense industrial base (DIB) have achieved self-sufficiency such that Ukraine can start exports to the West. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on February 8 that Ukraine is opening its military exports and will open 10 export centers in northern European states and the Baltic states in 2026.[17] Zelensky did not specify which weapons Ukraine will export, but stated that Ukraine will start to jointly produce Ukrainian drones in Germany in mid-February 2025 and that Ukraine and the United Kingdom (UK) have opened joint production lines in the UK. Ukraine began in 2023 to pursue its long-term objective of ensuring the self-sufficiency of its DIB such that Ukraine could be less reliant on foreign military provisions in the future.[18] Western security and financial aid to Ukraine in the past years helped the Ukrainian DIB in these endeavors, and ISW assessed in early 2024 that Ukraine would require considerable Western military assistance for several years before Ukraine achieved self-sufficiency. Ukrainian exports, as well as joint European-Ukrainian and US-Ukrainian production, are mutually beneficial, as the West can use Ukraine’s experience fighting a 21st-century war with an accelerated offense-defense technological cycle to bolster its defenses and own DIBs.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian missile strikes in January 2026 damaged parts of Russia’s Kapustin Yar launch site. The Ukrainian General Staff reported on February 8 that previous Ukrainian strikes against the Kapustin Yar launch site in Astrakhan Oblast damaged a technical facility that serviced intermediate-range ballistic missiles, an assembly building, and a logistics warehouse.[19] The Ukrainian General Staff reported on February 5 that Ukrainian forces conducted a series of strikes against the Kapustin Yar site with Ukrainian-produced long-range weapons, including FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, in January 2026.[20] Russian forces launched their November 2024 and January 2026 Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) strikes against Ukraine from Kapustin Yar.
- Russian forces are continuing their cognitive warfare campaign that uses small-scale cross-border attacks in previously dormant frontline areas in northern Ukraine to try to convince the West that the frontlines in Ukraine are collapsing.
- Russian milbloggers continue to claim that SpaceX’s recent block of unregistered Starlink terminals in Ukraine is hindering Russian combat operations in Ukraine.
- Russian forces continue to integrate air-to-air capabilities onto their Shahed-type drones to ensure the drones evade Ukrainian air defenders and to undermine Ukraine’s air defense.
- Parts of Ukraine’s defense industrial base (DIB) have achieved self-sufficiency such that Ukraine can start exports to the West.
- The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian missile strikes in January 2026 damaged parts of Russia’s Kapustin Yar launch site.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Hulyaipole.
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General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Operational information as of 22:00 on 08.02.2026 regarding the Russian invasion
The defense forces are focusing their efforts on disrupting the Russian invaders' plans for an offensive and exhausting their combat potential.Since the beginning of the day, there have been 283 combat engagements.The enemy launched one missile strike, using six missiles, 50 air strikes, dropping 144 guided aerial bombs. In addition, it used 2,211 kamikaze drones and carried out 2,061 shelling of settlements and positions of our troops.
- In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, Ukrainian soldiers repelled three enemy attacks today, and the enemy carried out 57 shellings of our troops' positions and populated areas, including five with multiple launch rocket systems.
- In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, the enemy stormed the positions of our units in the areas of the settlements of Vovchansk, Starytsia, Prylipka, and in the direction of Fyholivka. Ukrainian units repelled seven attacks.
- Ukrainian defenders repelled 13 attacks in the Kupiansk direction, towards Kupiansk, Podoliv, Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Novoosynove, Nova Kruhlyakivka, and Novoplatonivka. Another combat engagement is currently ongoing.
- In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian soldiers stopped 22 attacks in the areas of the settlements of Drobysheve, Serednie, Zarichne, and in the direction of Druzhlyubivka, Stavky, Shyikivka, and Lyman.
- In the Sloviansk direction, our defenders repelled 14 attempts by the occupiers to advance in the area of the settlement of Dronivka and towards Zakytne, Rai-Oleksandrivka, and Platonivka.
- In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy carried out one attack in the area of Orikhovo-Vasylivka.
- In the Kostyantynivka direction, the occupiers stormed the positions of our defenders 30 times today near the settlements of Pleshchiivka, Rusyn Yar, Yablunivka, and in the direction of Kostyantynivka, Ivanopil, Illinivka, Mykolaipillia, Stepanivka, and Sofiivka.
- In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy carried out 63 attacks. The occupiers tried to advance near the settlements of Rodynske, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetsk, Muravka, Myrnohrad, Filiya, and towards the settlements of Toretsk, Kucheri Yar, Bilytske, Shevchenko, Novooleksandrivka, Serhiivka, Novopidhorodne, Novopavlivka, Ivanivka, Hryshyne, and Novy Donbas. Fighting is still ongoing in some locations.
According to preliminary estimates, today our soldiers eliminated 146 occupiers and wounded 46 in this direction; they destroyed 32 unmanned aerial vehicles, 16 motor vehicles, one piece of special equipment, and also hit seven motor vehicles and four enemy personnel shelters.
- In the Oleksandrivka direction, Ukrainian units stopped seven attacks by the occupiers in the Privillia area and in the direction of the settlements of Andriivka-Klevtsove, Ivanivka, and Oleksandrograd. The settlement of Kolomiitsi was hit by guided aerial bombs.
- In the Huliaipole direction, there were 26 attacks by the occupiers – in the areas of Solodke, Huliaipole, Dorozhnyanka, Mirne, and in the direction of Zaliznychne and Olenokostiantynivka. In some locations, fighting continues to this day. Enemy aircraft struck the settlements of Zelenaya Dibrova, Barvinivka, Nizhenka, Lyubitskoye, Vozdvyzhivka, and Kopani.
- In the Orikhiv direction, the enemy attacked the positions of our defenders five times in the areas of Kam'yanske, Shcherbakiv, and towards Luk'yanivske.
- No enemy offensive actions were noted in the Dnipro direction.
Let's defeat the enemy and bring our victory closer!Glory to Ukraine
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A leaked list of the munitions that President Donald Trump's immigration agents took with them to Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge appalled one Department of Homeland Security official on Wednesday, according to a report.
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