U.S. aid to Kyiv "is going to be a partnership with the Ukrainians in terms of their rare earths, their natural resources, and their oil and gas, and also buying ours," Trump's national security adviser said on Feb. 9.
The president said the cross-border offensive was "one of our most successful operations" and that it forced Russia "to give up their military units from the Zaporizhzhia direction."
The project seeks to enhance combat effectiveness by expanding the use of drones within elite units of the Ground Forces and the State Border Guard Service.
Key developments on Feb. 8-9: * Ukraine says it downed Russian Su-25 warplane in Donetsk Oblast * Syrskyi marks first year in office by highlighting key achievements, including strikes on 377 military targets in Russia * Military to introduce 'special contracts' to motivate younger volunteer fighters, Zelensky says * 70 Russian drones shot down
Germany's Bundeswehr is investigating potental espionage after unidentified drones were spotted flying over a sensitive German military base six times in January where Ukrainians have been training, Der Spiegel reported on Feb. 9.
Ukraine is maintaining high levels of gas imports from the EU after a series of Russian missile attacks on its gas facilities, according to a Reuters report on Feb. 9.
Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, said on Feb. 8 that the preparations for the exhumation of remains of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy are underway.
A Russian kamikaze drone injured two men in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, on Feb. 9, Governor Serhii Lysak reported on Telegram.
Ukrainian air defense shot down 70 Russian drones across the country overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Feb. 9.
Editor’s note: This is issue 12 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from Jan. 27–Feb. 2, 2025. This newsletter was until recently titled “Ukrainian Economy in Brief." The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine but declined to say how many times they had spoken, the New York Post reported on Feb. 8.
Russia has lost 847,860 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Feb. 9.
At least 76 apartments were damaged, and 215 windows were shattered in a drone attack on Russia's Rostov-on-Don overnight on Feb. 9, according to Mayor Alexander Scriabin.
Ukraine will face Colombia in the Group C Preliminary Round of wheelchair basketball, the first sport of the competition.
Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva said his country is willing to maintain stable relations with the U.S. administration but emphasized that Washington has yet to take concrete steps toward resuming arms control discussions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Military Committee Chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone discussed enhancing coordination of military aid under the Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine framework, a command plan focused on allocating and managing military support.
The band Ziferblat was selected to represent Ukraine at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest following their victory at the national selection process on Feb. 8.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi highlighted key military achievements during his first year in office, including long-range strikes, technological advancements, and NATO-standard training, in a Facebook post on Feb. 8.
Such contracts will have many benefits, including "a very high monetary provision," according to the president. He said the details of such contracts would be made public in the coming days.
British national Khan is the first to be targeted under the sanctions authorized by newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump that "target the war crimes tribunal over investigations of U.S. citizens or U.S. allies," Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
He told the German newspaper RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) that "first there needs to be an end to the conflict and real negotiations," and only then it would be possible to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
"One more Russian attack aircraft has been lost in the Toretsk direction thanks to our air defense troops," the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade said on Telegram.
"It is very important, otherwise it will look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine," Zelensky told Reuters. "It is still important for partners to discuss their issues first, and then have a conversation with the enemy."
"This legacy of occupation meant that Moscow - which uses energy as a weapon - had control of the frequency," the ministry said in a statement on X. "That’s a critical element in maintaining reliable power supply. That dependency ends today!"
The drone attack targeted Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Odesa oblasts, the Air Force said on Telegram.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 36 Ukrainian drones had been shot down by air defense. These include 18 drones over Rostov Oblast, 11 over Volgograd Oblast, five over Belgorod Oblast, and two over Krasnodar Krai.
This number includes 1,210 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Pete Hegseth will "highlight the need for increased European leadership on security assistance to Ukraine" at the Ramstein-format summit in Brussels on Feb. 12, the Pentagon said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed in an interview with Reuters on Feb. 7 that Ukraine was not offering to "give away" its resources but seeking a mutually beneficial partnership.
Key developments on Feb. 7: * North Korean soldiers "brought in again" to fight in Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says * Ukraine downs Russian guided bomb near Zaporizhzhia, Air Force says * Kyiv denies reports of alleged failed Russian Oreshnik missile launch at Ukraine * Trump ready to step up Russia sanctions to end war
"I will probably be meeting with President (Volodymyr) Zelensky next week, and I will probably be talking to President (Vladimir) Putin. I'd like to see the war end," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
"A significant number of occupiers have been eliminated, we are re talking hundreds of Russian and North Korean servicemen," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
(Updated: )
