U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in an interview with CNN that he had privately conveyed to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu not to “go down this path and conduct this type of irresponsible behavior.” "I don’t see anything right now that would lead me to believe that (Russian dictator Vladimir Putin) has made such a decision," Austin said. However, he added that Putin had made irresponsible decisions in the past, such as invading Ukraine.
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Monday, February 9
(Updated: )
Russian forces carried out a series of attacks overnight on Feb. 8-9, targeting various cities with reported missile and drone attacks.
Ukrainian director and journalist Mstyslav Chernov’s film "2,000 Meters to Andriivka" received the award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary at the 2026 Directors Guild of America award ceremony on Feb. 7.
Sunday, February 8
Zelensky also announced the upcoming production of Ukrainian drones in Germany.
“We don’t know what happened with that particular general — maybe it was their own internal Russian infighting,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Ukraine’s energy system remains under severe strain, and nuclear plants are still partially discharged as of Feb. 8 following Russia's mass attack on Ukraine's power grid overnight on Feb. 7.
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur examines SpaceX’s move to curb Russia’s illegal use of Starlink satellite internet — a technology that has been vital to Ukraine’s defense since 2022.
(Updated: )
The General Staff attributed the strikes to "using long-range strike weapons of Ukrainian production, particularly the FP-5 'Flamingo.'"
Those targeted include are citizens and residents of Russia, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Russian forces launched 101 drones at Ukrainian cities overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
The number includes 1,040 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
"An agent of our movement set fire to a hardware module at the base of a communication tower. As a result of the destruction of the ground equipment, all the infrastructure installed on the mast was completely de-energized and put out of action," the Atesh partisan group announced.
Saturday, February 7
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked our region using long-range Neptune missiles and HIMARS multiple rocket launcher systems," Bryansk Oblast Governor Alexander Bogomaz claimed. "As a result of the attack, power supply was disrupted in seven municipalities."
Blackouts and heating outages were reported in the Russian city of Belgorod on Feb. 7 after alleged attacks on a local thermal power plant and electrical substation.
(Updated: )
"This is a level of attack that no terrorist in the world has ever dared," President Volodymyr Zelensky said the following evening.
