Exclusives
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Ukraine dominates the drone war at the front—but Russia owns the sky behind it. A flurry of deep strikes on Russian logistics by Ukrainian FP-2 drones belies a bigger problem: the Russians may be winning the deep drone war. |
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Behind the black windows: How Kyiv survives a winter in the dark. In a city of prolonged blackouts and extreme freezes, survival in Kyiv has become a calculated battle fought with makeshift engineering and a finite supply of luck. |
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Ukrainians warned for years that Europe's human rights chief was a Kremlin conduit. The Epstein files just proved them right.. Thorbjørn Jagland offered to connect Jeffrey Epstein to Lavrov. KGB defectors had named him "Yuri" decades earlier. |
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Russia's GDP growth collapsed 76%—a Kremlin think tank says worse is coming (INFOGRAPHIC). Growth plunged from 4.3% to 1% in 2025, and a recession may follow in 2026. |
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Poland convicts man who scouted Zelenskyy's route for Russian assassins. Convicted man offered to join Wagner and Russian military intelligence. |
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"Modern war requires moving away from infantry warfare": Ukrainian brigade turns to ground and aerial drones on one of the toughest fronts. At the freezing, contested sector near Kostiantynivka, ground drones now manage most supply tasks once handled by troops, brigade commander Colonel Kulykivskyi says. |
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No, Hungary, banning Russian gas isn't a violation of EU law. Budapest claims the EU overstepped its powers. The treaties, case law, and Hungary's own choices tell a different story. |
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How Starlink made Russia's drones deadlier—and harder to jam. Improved reliability and resistance to jamming make Starlink-equipped drones deadlier and a priority for Kyiv to shut down |
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Honeytrap empire: Epstein files reveal deep ties to Belarusian and Russian individuals, including an FSB-trained business advisor. 3 million pages document FSB contacts, sanctioned bank transfers, and channels to the Kremlin |
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Russian troops may have seized their best chance to strangle Kostiantynivka. Fog and rain could help Russian troops sever Kostiantynivka's main supply line. If the city falls, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk are in trouble. |
Military
Russia killed many Ukrainian civilians, while "peace" talks were underway in UAE.
ISW: Russia used energy moratorium to stockpile missiles, not pursue peace. Kremlin bought time and goodwill while preparing 2026's largest strike
Azov commander: Stop counting kilometers—Ukraine's real war is psychological
. Olenivka massacre survivor argues Ukrainians are measuring the wrong things
Intelligence and technology
Russia is training North Korea's future army: 3,000 North Korean soldiers return home as war instructors. North Korean troops fight in Kursk Oblast. What happens when they return home is the real concern.
Russia used "energy ceasefire" for updating its target map in Ukraine — second massive strike expected 7–10 February, monitors warn. Russia didn't stop during the "ceasefire."
Ukrainian Swarmer startup raised largest defense investment since war began — now it's filing for world's second-largest exchange. From Brave1 cluster to world's second-largest exchange — Ukrainian drone technology goes global.
UK rules out sending Watchkeeper drones to Ukraine, citing obsolete technology. £1.35bn fleet too old for modern battlefield as replacement arrives this year
Russia spent nearly $325 million on latest attack — Ukraine's Intelligence. Moscow launched 71 missiles and 450 drones at Ukraine on the night of February 3 in an attack that cost $324.8 million but saw nearly 80% of the weapons destroyed by Ukrainian air defense
US Air Force tests 400-kilometer range cruise missile for Ukraine program. The test completed a key phase for missiles being produced under a program approved by the State Department for sale of up to 3,550 units to Ukraine; delivery is reportedly expected in October 2026
International
Trilateral talks with Ukraine's ex-intelligence chief resumed in Abu Dhabi, as Kyiv warns Russia just uses them for missile stockpiling. One year of negotiations has produced no results except increased civilian deaths.
Humanitarian and social impact
Russia hit Ukraine's energy for 257 times this cold season. What makes latest damage different could take months or years to repair. Kyiv's electricity crisis will last at least a month.
217 attacks in six weeks: Ukraine pledges support for energy sector workers. More than 1,100 apartment buildings across multiple districts of Kyiv remain without heating following the latest wave of Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, President Zelenskyy said
Over 1,100 Kyiv apartment buildings remain without heat after Russia's 3 February strike on thermal power plant. Ukrainian officials say the Darnytsia combined heat and power plant suffered severe damage in Russia's overnight attack, with Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba reporting that 63 additional repair crews are now working in the worst-affected districts.
Read our earlier daily review here.
