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 overnight, Air Force reports
Ukraine's military said on Feb. 8 that it had downed a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft near the town of Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast.
"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.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the brigade's report.
The report comes as Ukrainian troops struggle to hold the front amid a grinding Russian offensive, facing severe manpower and resource shortages.
Losing one town after another, Kyiv is fighting to retain its last strongholds in Donetsk Oblast, while U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for negotiations to end Russia's full-scale war, now nearly in its fourth year.
The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed "Frogfoot" by NATO, is a heavily armored ground-attack aircraft. It has seen extensive use by both sides in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
Syrskyi marks first year in office by highlighting key achievements, including strikes on 377 military targets in Russia
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.
According to the statement, over the past year, Ukraine's defense forces successfully targeted 377 military sites in Russia, with attacks reaching as far as 1,700 km.
"DeepStrike's range deep into Russian territory has already reached 1,700 kilometers. We are preparing new long-range weapons, which will indeed be used," Syrskyi said.
The Ukrainian Air Force and defense units also destroyed 9,200 air targets, more than doubling the previous year’s total.
Additionally, Ukraine has worked to modernize its military structure, introducing extended training programs of 1.5 months, and shifting foreign weapons training to Ukraine to optimize costs and efficiency.
Syrskyi highlighted the transition to NATO standards in training, command, and troop management, reinforcing Ukraine’s strategic alignment with Western military principles.
“The preservation of Ukrainian soldiers' lives remains our top priority. To achieve this, we have developed and implemented a comprehensive program focused on modernizing the army, improving soldier training, and enhancing medical care at all stages,” he said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Syrskyi to his position on Feb. 8, 2024, in place of Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Prior to his appointment, Syrskyi served as the head of Ukraine's Ground Forces and commanded the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Following the full-scale invasion, he played a key role in the Battle of Kyiv, Ukraine's successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast in fall 2022, and the Battle of Bakhmut.
Kateryna Denisova
Military to introduce 'special contracts' to motivate younger volunteer fighters, Zelensky says
The Ukrainian military is planning to introduce "special contracts" to recruit volunteers aged 18 to 24, who are exempt from mobilization, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters published on Feb. 7.
The remarks follow reports that U.S. lawmakers and NATO allies are urging Ukraine to lower its draft age from 25 to 18 to address manpower shortages. Currently, Ukrainian men aged 25 to 60 are subject to conscription.
"Combat brigades, experienced ones, together with the Defense Ministry have been working on a contract option for young people aged 18 to 24," Zelensky said. "This is for those who want to join up, it is not a mobilization."
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.
The U.S. has reportedly advocated for lowering the conscription age as part of broader efforts to address Ukraine's personnel needs at the full-scale war with Russia stretches into its third year.
Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Waltz said in January that Ukraine "could generate hundreds of thousands of new soldiers" if it lowered its conscription age to 18.
The Ukrainian military faces a critical manpower shortage, struggling to replenish infantry gaps left by heavy losses in battle-hardened brigades. Enlisting in the military currently often means signing up until the war ends, with no end in sight. A one-year contract option would appeal to those interested in contributing to the war effort for a limited period.
Zelensky's Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa said in January that Ukraine is finalizing reforms to attract young people exempt from mobilization.
"We need to adapt the structure to the logic of modern warfare, which will allow us to be more effective and prevent us from making the same mistakes repeatedly," Palisa said.
Kyiv has long opposed U.S. pressure to lower the draft age, with Zelensky arguing it would harm Ukraine's future prospects.
70 Russian drones shot down overnight, Air Force reports
Ukrainian air defense shot down 70 Russian drones across the country overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force reported on Feb. 9.
Drones were shot down over Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Volyn, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Odesa oblasts, the Air Force said on Telegram.
The Air Force also said that it had lost track of 74 decoy drones launched during the attack alongside the combat drones, saying that there were "no negative consequences."
Decoy drones are less deadly, but are much cheaper to manufacture and being combined with other drones in an attempt to overwhelm Ukraine's air defense, Ukraine's intelligence service said last year.
Since the end of last year, Russia has sharply escalated the number of drones attacks launched at Ukraine. In November 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian troops were launching about ten times as many Shahed-type drones at Ukraine compared to the previous fall.
These deadly attacks have forced civilians to live under constant threat and often target critical infrastructure in an attempt to knock out water, heating, or electricity services.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
Note from the author:
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