On 4 February, another prisoner exchange took place between Ukraine and Russia. 116 Ukrainians were released, including soldiers and members of the resistance movement. The Russian side reported the return of 63 of its servicemen.

In addition, the bodies of two British volunteers killed near Soledar were handed over. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the situation on the front was becoming increasingly difficult, particularly in the areas of Bakhmut and Vuhledar. British intelligence confirmed limited Russian progress in attempts to encircle Bakhmut and noted that key supply routes were under growing threat. Meanwhile, a major power outage occurred in Odessa, affecting around one million residents and deepening the region’s energy crisis.

The following day, 5 February, Russian forces carried out further missile strikes against civilian targets. In Kharkiv, an S-300 missile hit a building of the Kharkiv National University of Municipal Economy, injuring five people. Druzhkivka and Kherson were also shelled. On the same day, The Wall Street Journal revealed Russian–Iranian plans to build a factory in Russia capable of producing at least 6,000 upgraded Shahed-136 drones. Meanwhile, the European Union introduced new sanctions, including an embargo and price caps on Russian refined petroleum products.

On 6 February, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution designating the Wagner Group as an international criminal organisation. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, Russia had been attempting since early January to resume a large-scale offensive in Donetsk Oblast, but shortages of ammunition and suitable forces limited its effectiveness. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Russian troops had failed to complete the encirclement of Bakhmut. At the same time, reports emerged of a growing Russian troop concentration around Mariupol, with numbers allegedly rising to 30,000.

On 7 February, the Ukrainian military announced that it had inflicted the highest daily Russian casualties since the start of the invasion, claiming 1,030 Russian soldiers killed in a single day. That same day, Germany approved the delivery of 178 Leopard 1 tanks from industrial stocks. The Ukrainian parliament also extended martial law for the fifth time, this time for another 90 days.

On 8 February, according to Ukrainian sources and ISW analysts, Russia launched a new large-scale offensive in Luhansk Oblast, concentrating its assault in the Kreminna area. That day, President Zelenskyy paid an official visit to the United Kingdom, where he met Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and addressed Parliament, appealing for the delivery of fighter aircraft to Ukraine. London announced the expansion of training programmes to include the preparation of Ukrainian pilots. Later that evening, Zelenskyy travelled to Paris, where he met President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

On 9 February, President Zelenskyy continued his diplomatic offensive by addressing the European Parliament in Brussels, once again calling for the supply of fighter jets. He also stated that Ukraine had intercepted a plan aimed at destabilising Moldova through a pro-Russian coup. At the same time, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak confirmed that Russia had launched a full-scale offensive. Fighting was concentrated mainly in Donbas, with Russian forces making intensive use of aviation. The Ukrainian General Staff reported heavy clashes along multiple sections of the front. The independent Russian outlet Meduza reported that Russia had lost 20 generals since the beginning of the war.

On 10 February, Russia carried out a massive missile strike against Ukraine, launching 106 missiles, of which Ukrainian air defences shot down 61. The primary targets were energy infrastructure facilities. Damage was recorded in six oblasts, with the most difficult situation in Kharkiv Oblast. In Zaporizhzhia alone, 17 impacts were reported within a single hour. That day also saw a violation of the airspace of Moldova and Romania by two Russian Kalibr cruise missiles. While Chișinău confirmed the incident and summoned the Russian ambassador, Bucharest denied any breach of its airspace. On the front line, intense fighting continued in the areas of Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Novopavlivka. The governor of Donetsk Oblast confirmed that a Russian offensive had begun in the region.

Illustrative photo generated by AI