According to multiple sources on February 8, 2025, Ukrainian forces have advanced 2.5 kilometers into Russian territory near Sudzha in Kursk Oblast. President Zelenskyy confirmed this offensive in a Reuters interview, saying that the fighting has prevented Russian reinforcements from moving to other fronts, particularly around Pokrovsk in Donetsk region. Russia has roughly 60,000 men in the Kursk area working to contain and repel the Ukrainian incursion.


Russia's Defense Ministry reported intercepting 36 Ukrainian drones overnight on February 8, with 18 over Rostov Oblast, 11 over Volgograd Oblast, five over Belgograd Oblast, and two over Krasnodar Krai. The strikes targeted multiple oil refineries, including facilities in Volgograd Oblast's Kumylzhensky district, according to regional governor Andrei Bocharov.


Russian Captain Konstantin Nagayko died on January 3, 2025, in an explosion in Shuya. Ukraine's GUR identified Nagayko as being responsible for missile strikes that killed 59 civilians in Hroza, Kharkiv region.


Nursultan Mussagaleyev, a former Russian commander linked to war crimes in Bucha, has been appointed as acting deputy minister in Russia's Orenburg Oblast. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office documented over 1,400 civilian killings in the Bucha District, including 637 in Bucha itself and 37 children.


Putin acknowledged that inflation is a major concern for Russia. Consumer prices rose by 9.5% in 2024 and have reached 9.9% year-on-year as of February 2025. The Russian Central Bank set a high interest rate of 21% and predicted inflation to reach between 5.2% and 8.6% by the end of 2025.


Of the 435 ships that transported Russian crude oil in 2024, 112 (26%) are now under US sanctions. Shipping costs have increased dramatically, with transport costs to India now reaching $10 per barrel from the Black Sea and up to $13 per barrel from the Baltic.


On February 8, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia began disconnecting their power systems from Russia's grid, as part of a €1.6 billion project. The project received 75% of its funding from the European Union. The process started at 6 AM Kyiv time, with Lithuania leading the disconnection, followed by Latvia and Estonia. The Baltic states haven't imported electricity from Russia since May 2022.


The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has announced plans to offer one-year military contracts with high financial compensation to citizens aged 18-24, according to President Zelenskyy's interview with Reuters. This initiative is separate from general mobilization and aims to attract voluntary recruits, though specific compensation details are yet to be announced. Colonel Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of the President's Office and former commander of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, said that this initiative is part of broader recruiting reforms moving away from the Soviet-era conscription system.


Ukraine has reported successful strikes on a Russian headquarters in occupied Selydove, Donetsk Oblast on February 8. According to journalist Denys Kazanskyi, HIMARS rockets targeted the headquarters of Russia's 35th Brigade, with unconfirmed reports suggesting significant casualties among the command staff. Drone footage shared by Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, shows an explosion at the strike site.


Ukrainian forces have reportedly found new ways to counter Russian guided bombs, with reports from January 2025 indicating successful use of ZU-23-2 autocannon systems. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed downing a Russian KAB near Zaporizhzhia on February 6, though specific details of the method weren't disclosed.


In late January 2025, the Russian reconnaissance ship Kildin experienced a four-hour fire off Syria's coast. The ship is part of the 519th Separate Reconnaissance Ship Division of the Black Sea Fleet and refused assistance from NATO countries. The Kildin was built in the 1970s and is one of several Russian ships from the Black Sea Fleet currently blocked by Turkey from passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits.


Moldovan President Maia Sandu has suggested the region could receive Russian gas through alternative routes, similar to Slovakia's arrangement. The EU has offered €60 million in aid to cover household gas consumption until mid-April, though this assistance comes with conditions regarding human rights and market-based energy pricing.


UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated on February 7 that Russian leader Vladimir Putin shows no readiness for genuine peace talks, saying that the war will continue for "some months yet." This assessment aligns with President Zelenskyy's position that while he's ready to negotiate, there must be a clear understanding between Ukraine and its Western partners on how to secure lasting peace.


Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR) warned on February 8 about potential Russian attempts to discredit Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War through forged documents. The agency said that all prisoner-related assistance provided by their specialists remains free of charge and urged people to report any attempts to demand payment for such services.


Lithuania announced a new military aid package including trucks and spare parts for American M113 armored personnel carriers. 


Ukraine's 412th "NEMESIS" Regiment has reported successfully destroying a Russian TOS-1A MLRS system, working in cooperation with reconnaissance units from the 102nd and 108th separate territorial defense brigades. The strike required three hits from a bomber drone before ensuring the target's destruction.


New photos released by the West Air Command show the IRIS-T SLS anti-aircraft missile system integrated on an Italian Iveco 4×4 truck chassis. Sources indicate this represents one of 10 systems already transferred, with 14 more planned for delivery.


According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, North Korea is set to begin drone production with Russian technical assistance this year. Ukraine's intelligence indicates approximately 8,000 North Korean soldiers are currently fighting in Kursk Oblast. It was reported 12,000  were deployed last fall.


The UK government has announced a £25 million ($31 million) social recovery initiative called SPIRIT, which aims to help 10,000 families across ten regions of Ukraine. The program includes training for 100 civil society and local community representatives and focuses on supporting vulnerable groups including women, families with children, people with disabilities, the elderly, and veterans.


Ukraine's 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade reported downing a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft near Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast on February 8. Video was published of the plane being downed by MANPADS. Another video shows Russia's attempt to rescue the pilots with helicopters was harassed by FPV drones.



Russian military blogger zhivoff:

Key military specialties on the front in 2024-2025 are "toptuny" (foot soldiers/walkers)and "stalkers."
"Toptuny" are guys who walk to the front line on foot. It's often dangerous to travel by car, motorcycle, or quad bike, especially in areas of the front that are under fire, even with the world's best electronic warfare equipment. They carry provisions, ammunition, and other supplies on foot. Sometimes they have to walk 10-16 kilometers back and forth.
"Stalkers" are drone hunters. I heard this name at the front line. These are special guys whose main and often only task is to guard the sky with automatic weapons and shotguns, shoot down drones, and protect roads.
And who did you think ensures victory in war? It's the "toptuny" and "stalkers" who ensure it.

Quote of the Day:

“Be comforted, dear soul! There is always hedgehogs behind the clouds.”

― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women