Exclusives
| If martial law is suspended for elections, Ukraine will lose its army, Zelenskyy warns. Ukraine would be legally required to drastically reduce its wartime-sized army. Moreover, millions – most refugees abroad, soldiers, and those in occupied territories – would be unable to vote. |
| Expert: Here’s how Ukraine could capitalize on its rare earth materials. Ukraine has to start developing a policy after wasting 34 years, says Pavel Verkhnyatskiy |
| Trump’s Ukraine peace ambitions shatters against Putin’s total victory obsession. Trump’s peace plan hinges on surprise tactics while Putin’s strategy remains grimly consistent: total victory or nothing. |
Military
Ukraine repels 16-hour Russian-North Korean infantry assault in Kursk Oblast (video). Ukrainian 47th Mechanized Brigade has repelled a prolonged multipronged infantry attack using combined arms and inflicting heavy losses.
ISW: Russian forces may redeploy from Kurakhove to Toretsk area in Donetsk Oblast. Russia redeploys units, including tank and artillery regiments, potentially preparing for offensive operations against Kostiantynivka in 2025.
Ukraine cut Russia’s artillery advantage from 10:1 to 2:1, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi says. “I know that Ukrainian soldiers are exhausted,” writes Syrskyi in a detailed Facebook post marking his first year in command. Yet, despite ongoing supply challenges, he emphasized significant military gains over the past year.
Russia attacks Ukraine with 151 drones in overnight attack, at least 7 might reach targets. Local authorities report minor damage and no casualties. The Air Force says it downed 70 Shaheds, while 74 decoy drones crashed.
Russians target Central Asian migrants for military recruitment in occupied Ukraine. Ukraine’s National Resistance Center says that Russian forces are coercing draft-age men into contracts through threats of arrest and property confiscation.
Forbes: Ukraine adopts Russian probe-and-attack tactics in Kursk Oblast. Unlike Russia, which relies on massed troops, Ukraine must find lower-risk ways to probe enemy lines before attacks.
Zelenskyy: Russia launches over 1,260 aerial bombs at Ukraine in one week. Additionally, Moscow attacked Ukraine with almost 750 long-range kamikaze drones, and over 10 missiles within a week, he says.
Ukraine deploys 200,000 drones monthly to counter 5-to-1 Russian infantry advantage near Pokrovsk, WSJ reports. Along the 600-mile eastern front, surveillance drones police the battlespace while explosive UAVs target advancing Russian soldiers, marking a shift where Ukrainian infantry only engage enemies who slip past the aerial defense screen near Pokrovsk.
As of 9 FEB 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:
Politics
Kremlin neither confirms nor denies Trump’s claim about Putin call. Trump earlier said he has already talked to the Russian President by phone to discuss peace in Ukraine.
NATO chief Rutte: New treaty between Ukraine and Russia must prevent future Russian aggression. Rutte said that a potential treaty should ensure that Putin realizes ”we should not try to take another square kilometer of Ukraine ever again.”
Zelenskyy: I’m ready to negotiate with Putin as long as US and Europe will not abandon Ukraine. Ukraine’s head of state also noted that the currently occupied territories will be returned to Ukraine in due time ”when Russia is weak.”
Kim Jong Un vows continued support for Russia as it fights for ”just cause”. With North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine and Kim Jong Un’s latest pledge of unwavering support for Moscow, the partnership continues to pose challenges for Western efforts to maintain strategic stability.
Trump advisor: Europe must take lead in security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump’s National Security Adviser emphasized that Europe must ”own this conflict” while the US looks to recoup military aid costs through resource partnerships with Ukraine.
Intelligence and technology
Ukraine deploys 200,000 drones monthly to counter 5-to-1 Russian infantry advantage near Pokrovsk, WSJ reports. Along the 600-mile eastern front, surveillance drones police the battlespace while explosive UAVs target advancing Russian soldiers.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung: Russia covertly attempts to procure Swiss machines for precision weapons. Western states are exerting pressure on the countries involved, as every missile that is milled for Russia with the help of a Western machine could one day also hit NATO territory.
US lawyer helped connect FSB operatives with Zelenskyy campaign in 2019, The Times says. A Moscow-based spy ring led by Vladimir Sivkovych compromised Ukraine’s security service by embedding agent Oleh Kulinich years before Russia’s full-scale invasion.
German air defenses fail as “suspitious” drones surveil Ukrainian Patriot training at NATO base. German countermeasures failed as drones persistently monitored a high-security base where Ukrainian troops train, sparking suspicions of Russian involvement.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung: Russia covertly attempts to procure Swiss machines for precision weapons. Western states are exerting pressure on the countries involved, as every missile that is milled for Russia with the help of a Western machine could one day also hit NATO territory.
International
Estonian president says EU should consider full trade embargo on Russia. His call reflects a growing consensus among European leaders that true energy independence is vital for stability.
Two more ships carrying Russian oil sinking in Pacific and Baltic. Maritime incidents saw a Chinese cargo ship grounding near Sakhalin while an Antigua-flagged tanker stalled at Ust-Luga.
Team Ukraine gets standing ovation marching into Invictus Games. For war vets, the competition is a chance to shift focus from the war — and restore faith in society.
North Korea sends thousands of workers to Russia in 2024. Russian statistics showed 13,221 North Korean entries in 2024, including 7,887 claiming educational purposes, violating international workforce restrictions.
