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Ukraine claims 400 sq km liberated, eight settlements on southern front
2 days ago•Source: The Kyiv Independent
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Missile strikes across Russia lash Belgorod as oil hub in Tatarstan is hit
Missile strikes hit Russia overnight, causing Belgorod to suffer blackouts and disrupting electricity, water, and heating; reports also cited blasts in other cities and an attack on the Kaleikino oil-pumping station in Tatarstan, underscoring renewed targeting of Russia’s energy infrastructure amid the war. Ukrainian comment on the strikes was not available at publication.
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Ukrainian drones hit oil depot in southern Russia, officials report
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Media Verification Pinpoints 177,433 Russian Deaths in Ukraine
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NK Forces Expand Footprint in Russia: About 11,000 North Korean Troops in Kursk by 2026
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service says roughly 11,000 North Korean troops—about 10,000 combat forces and 1,000 engineers—are stationed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast as of early 2026 to back Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The report adds that around 1,100 soldiers who returned from the front in December 2025 could be redeployed, and NK casualties in Kursk are cited at about 6,000 by the NIS, with UK defense intelligence placing losses above that figure, underscoring a deepening North Korea–Russia military partnership.
Pope Leo XIV Delivers Generators and Medical Supplies to Ukraine
The Vatican says Pope Leo XIV sent 80 electric generators and thousands of medical supplies to Ukraine to help civilians endure freezing winter temperatures and ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure; a further shipment of medicine and food is being prepared, coordinated through parish networks across Ukraine.
Ukraine says it wiped out thousands of FPV drones in large-scale strike on Russian targets
Ukraine’s General Staff says it destroyed about 6,000 FPV drones and components in a large overnight strike on Russian military targets, including a Rostov-on-Don drone warehouse; other hits targeted a Russian airborne troops command post in Sudzha, an ammunition depot near Novooleksiivka, and a fuel-component plant in Tver Oblast, underscoring Kyiv’s focus on disrupting Russia’s drone production and military logistics.
Ukraine to open 10 European arms hubs in 2026 as wartime production goes global
Ukraine will open 10 weapon export centers across Europe in 2026 as part of a broader push to internationalize its arms production, with Zelensky announcing Ukrainian drone production lines in Germany (and the UK already operating similar lines). The program, tied to a “controlled export” policy, aims to export surplus defense equipment to fund urgent military needs, reflecting Ukraine’s rapid expansion of its drone and defense industries.
Kyiv hit by dual ballistic strikes as Russia targets energy grid
Kyiv reported explosions around 9 p.m. local time as Russia launched ballistic missiles; Ukraine’s air defenses were active and a power outage occurred in at least one district, part of a broader Russian campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure that has strained the grid amid freezing temperatures.
Ukraine hits Bryansk energy sites with Neptune missiles, governor claims
Ukraine reportedly struck energy facilities in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast using Neptune missiles and HIMARS, disrupting power in seven municipalities, according to Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims at publication and Ukraine’s military had not commented. FIRMS satellite data indicated fires at the plant, and Belgorod experienced blackouts as part of the same night’s disruption. The Neptune system was developed in Ukraine and has seen upgrades since the Moskva’s 2022 sinking, with Kyiv and Moscow trading broader war-time statements amid ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure.
Russia targets Ukraine's power grid, triggering nationwide outages as cold bites
Russia launched a mass strike against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, damaging high‑voltage substations and thermal plants and triggering emergency power outages across most regions just as freezing temperatures deepen the strain on the grid; restoration efforts are underway and international help may be sought.
Ukraine hits Kapustin Yar with Flamingo missiles, Kyiv claims
Ukraine says its forces damaged a hangar and evacuated personnel at Russia’s Kapustin Yar Oreshnik launch site in January after strikes using FP-5 'Flamingo' missiles, a Ukrainian-made long-range cruise weapon reportedly capable of about 3,000 km.
Zelensky: 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed, thousands missing, as war persists
Zelensky told France TV on Feb. 4 that officially 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion, with many others missing; he noted this does not include 2014–2022 casualties and warned Russia could incur up to 800,000 more corpses if it tried to take eastern Ukraine, a point raised amid ongoing trilateral peace talks.
Trump credits Putin as Russia strikes Ukraine’s energy grid again
U.S. President Donald Trump said Putin had "kept his word" about a temporary pause on strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, a claim that comes as Russia launched a major attack on Ukraine’s power plants during a bitter cold, ending a brief ceasefire and ahead of peace talks in Abu Dhabi; Kyiv warns Moscow is not serious about diplomacy as the assault persists.