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On March 25, employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (Ukrainian abbreviation SBU) celebrate their professional holiday. From the first days of the full-scale russian invasion, employees of the Ukrainian special services, like other defenders, stood up to defend the homeland. They identified and destroyed enemy agents, and soon transferred the war to the territory of the aggressor. Units of long-range drones of the SBU inflict devastating blows on military, military-industrial and oil refining facilities in the deep russian rear.

The most resonant operation of the SBU was Operation “Spiderweb” – a simultaneous impression of several dozen russian military aircraft. On June 1, 2025, four russian military airfields located in the deep rear, hundreds and even thousands of kilometers from the line of combat contact, were simultaneously attacked. The attack was carried out using remotely controlled drones, which were able to be delivered to enemy targets unnoticed.

The preparation of the special operation took place in conditions of maximum secrecy for almost a year and a half. First, the SBU implemented a complex logistical operation to bring hundreds of drones and eight launch cabins disguised as modular wooden houses to russian territory. The cabins were equipped with solar panels and batteries, and the drones with communication equipment, which made it possible to control them from the territory of Ukraine. The cargo was transported across the border using corrupt loopholes in russian customs.

The operation was coordinated in enemy territory by a married couple. Being from Ukraine, they had moved to russia a long time ago. Fluent in russian and with russian passports, they did not arouse suspicion. In one russian city, they created a logistics company, equipped a warehouse, hired drivers and quietly prepared the launch of the “Spiderweb”.

At the end of May, the trucks set off on different routes across russia. The drivers had no idea what they were carrying. And on June 1, the roofs of the cabs were opened remotely, and more than a hundred drones simultaneously rose into the air and struck four russian airfields. In an hour, operators from Ukraine were able to destroy or damage 41 russian military aircraft. In total, a third of russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers were hit. In addition, a warehouse of cruise missiles that were being prepared for launch at Ukrainian cities was destroyed at one of the airfields. The estimated value of the equipment hit as a result of Operation Spiderweb exceeds $7 billion.

After the attack, russian security forces put the Ukrainian agents’ spouses on the wanted list – but it was too late. They left Russia a few days before the end of the operation.

“In accordance with the laws and customs of war, we have worked out absolutely legitimate targets – military airfields and aircraft that bomb our peaceful cities,” the SBU leadership emphasized at the time.

Military experts from different countries called this Ukrainian operation “the aviation Pearl Harbor”, comparing it with the devastating Japanese attack on the American fleet in 1941 or even with the legendary Trojan Horse. Unique in its concept and implementation, Operation “Spiderweb” will certainly be included in the textbooks of military history and the work of special services.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the employees of the Security Service of Ukraine on their professional holiday and noted that Ukrainians can be quite deservedly proud of their Security Service - truly combative, truly patriotic, truly effective.
 

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have foiled a russian strategic offensive operation that the enemy was preparing for March. This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The russians began preparing a major offensive operation at the end of last year. In turn, the Ukrainian Defense Forces conducted their own counteroffensive actions to prevent a large-scale russian offensive. As a result, the intensity of the Russian attacks was not at all as intense as their command had promised the russian political leadership.

According to the Ukrainian leader, now russia actually does not want to stop the war against Ukraine and conduct peace talks.

The invaders are stealing Ukrainian children

The UN International Commission has recognized the forced displacement and deportation of Ukrainian children by russia as crimes against humanity. The russians' unwillingness to return young Ukrainians to their homeland is a war crime. This is stated in a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council.

The international commission has recorded at least 1,205 cases of russian deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied Ukrainian territories. More than 80% of the children are still under the control of the occupiers. They were placed with russian families or in children's shelters in various russian regions. Many parents and close relatives do not even know where their children are and whether they will ever be able to return home, UN investigators note.

Commenting on the situation, children's rights advocates emphasize that this is not just about the physical deportation of a child from the occupied territory. This is an attempt to tear Ukrainian children away from their family, from their native language and identity, and, ultimately, from Ukraine itself.

The report of the UN international commission emphasizes that russia is pursuing a coordinated state policy for which officials at various levels are responsible, in particular russian ruler putin. It is worth recalling that in 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian ruler Putin on charges of illegally deporting Ukrainian children.

Ukraine defeated NATO during naval exercises

Ukrainian soldiers once again proved their high skills at international military exercises. At the NATO naval exercises REPMUS/Dynamic Messenger 2025, which took place in Portugal, Ukrainian sailors won all five combat scenarios. This is reported by the German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ukraine/nato-manoever-vor-portugal-ukraine-versenkt-alliierte-fregatte-accg-200633625.html

NATO forces tested the protection of ports and convoys. The Ukrainian team used Magura V7 naval drones in various modifications: from reconnaissance to strike. During a simulated attack on a convoy, Ukrainian naval drones struck so many NATO frigates that in a real battle, it would have sunk. Moreover, even five minutes after the simulated defeat, the NATO ship’s crew continued to ask in the chat about the start of the attack, since they did not notice the approach of Ukrainian drones at all. As noted in the publication, NATO representatives called Ukraine’s participation a historic moment that forced the Alliance to reconsider its tactics of defense against drones. The results of the maneuvers showed that NATO troops are not sufficiently prepared for the threats of modern warfare at sea.

Magura naval drones have been repeatedly used against russian targets in the Black Sea and have inflicted significant losses on the enemy, not only at sea but also in the air. This is the world’s first naval unmanned platform to destroy an aircraft, helicopter, and warships.

And at the international cybersecurity exercises Defence Cyber Marvel 2026, which took place in Singapore, the Ukrainian Armed Forces team took second place. 36 teams – over 2,500 representatives from 29 countries – took part in these exercises. The participants practiced scenarios that simulated attacks on military control systems and segments of critical infrastructure. The Ukrainian side acted taking into account the practical experience of countering real russian cyberattacks. The practices developed by the cybersecurity units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed high applied value. Ukrainian soldiers consistently show a high level of training, demonstrate courage and skill in defending the homeland. They call on foreign volunteers to join their ranks and are ready to share with them the most modern military experience.
 

During the winter counteroffensive on the southern sector of the front, Ukrainian troops liberated 9 settlements and, in total, regained control over more than 400 square kilometers of territory.

During the advance, Ukrainian units reached the enemy’s rear positions 7-8 km from the line of combat clashes. As a result, Ukrainian soldiers managed to destroy two russian battalion commanders. Thanks to this, they managed to destabilize the management of the enemy units.

As we have already written, at the initial stage, the Ukrainian counteroffensive was facilitated by the fact that the russians had major communication problems after their Starlink system was turned off.

"The russian aggressor is numerically superior, but, given our active actions, is forced to postpone the dates of its planned operations, patch holes in its defenses and transfer troops from other directions," noted the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrsky.

During January-February 2026, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck three large russian military enterprises, one of the key missile ranges and two large arsenals with long-range strikes. Details of the Ukrainian attack on the russian naval base of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea also became known. Among other things, there, Ukrainian drones hit two Russian frigates that were launching missiles at peaceful Ukrainian cities. Now these ships are out of action.

Drones are taking prisoners

During this winter, more than 100 Russian occupiers surrendered thanks to the work of Ukrainian drone units. This was reported by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.

Drone operators find separate groups of occupiers, through loudspeakers mounted on drones they offer them to surrender, and then the drones accompany the prisoners to Ukrainian positions, showing the direction of movement.

One of the most resonant such cases occurred in January. An FPV drone of the Rubizh brigade recorded a dugout in which four russians were hiding and offered them to surrender. The occupiers decided to save their lives - they began to leave, following the commands of the Ukrainian military, who heard from the loudspeaker. At the same time, other Russians tried to destroy their own military and attacked them with drones. But two russians still managed to be captured alive. And in February 2026, fighters of the 158th separate mechanized brigade captured five russian occupiers using a drone and loudspeaker.

Ukrainian shares air defense experience

Ukraine has received 11 requests for security support from Iran's neighboring countries, European states, and the United States. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Events in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region directly affect Europe — and, in particular, Ukraine — other parts of the world, the critically important supply to Ukraine, the security and well-being of our people," the Ukrainian head of state said.

Ukraine analyzed the prospects of the war in Iran and considered requests from states for security support from the Ukrainian side in countering Iranian Shahed drones and other similar challenges. After all, Russian invaders have been shelling Ukrainian cities with Iranian Shaheds or their Russian counterparts for several years. In view of this, Ukrainian expertise in protection against Shaheds is currently the largest in the world. Therefore, now Iran's neighboring countries, European states and America are very interested in Ukrainian experience - appropriate interceptors, electronic warfare systems, training.

"Ukraine is ready to respond positively to the requests of those who help us protect the lives of Ukrainians and the independence of Ukraine. We have already responded to some of the requests with specific support," Zelensky noted.

He noted that Ukraine has long offered partners to update and strengthen joint capabilities for protection against drones and missiles. It is also about destroying the relevant production facilities of the aggressor regimes. After all, the Iranian and russian regimes support each other. And now there is more and more information about the russian details in the Shaheeds, with which Iran strikes neighboring countries.
 

Ukraine successfully attacked a key russian missile production facility. Located more than 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, the Votkinsk Plant is one of the most important russian manufacturers of missiles of various classes - from intercontinental to tactical.

As satellite images show, two workshops were hit, where the bodies were stamped and the missiles were assembled. According to analysts who analyzed the satellite images, the nature of the destruction and the configuration of the collapses indicate that the epicenter of the explosion was inside the building. The destruction of the workshops will slow down the production process of russian missiles for at least 3-6 months. After all, the workshops where the production of missile bodies was concentrated were hit.

It is important to note that Ukraine attacked the enemy's strategic missile plant with long-range Flamingo cruise missiles - a weapon of its own Ukrainian production. Earlier, with the help of these missiles, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed one of the arsenals of the main missile and artillery department of the russian defense ministry. The missile manufacturer presented a video of the Flamingo launches. The United States has not yet given Ukraine Tomahawk missiles. But the attack on the Votkinsk plant showed that Ukrainian Flamingos are not inferior to American Tomahawks.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky noted that all Flamingo missiles launched by the Ukrainian military reached and hit the target. According to him, this indicates the high quality and accuracy of the latest Ukrainian products. He also said that the russians are hunting for the production of Flamingo missiles, and because of russian attacks, Ukraine “had to wait a long time for the renovation of the production line.” But now missile production will increase.

Military experts call the strike by Ukrainian missiles on the russian plant unique in terms of range and accuracy of destruction. The probable deviation during the strike was no more than 10 meters! Experts also note that at the same time, the Ukrainian Flamingos were able to fly unnoticed over almost the entire European part of russia, without encountering russian missile defense systems. It is likely that the Flamingos flew at extremely low altitudes for a very significant distance across the territory of russia. Therefore, the russians did not actually see them.

In turn, representatives of the manufacturing company assure that this was not yet the maximum capabilities of the Flamingo. According to them, the missile is constantly being improved, in particular in terms of terrain navigation.

In addition, Ukrainian soldiers continue to destroy the enemy's oil refining and oil transportation infrastructure - both in the frontline zone and in the deep rear. The other day, a successful attack took place on Novorossiysk - the russian naval base and the largest oil terminal on the Black Sea. Warships, air defense systems, and the port's oil infrastructure were hit. Each such operation directly affects the logistics and ability of the Russians to wage war and receive petrodollar revenues to the budget.

Ukrainian soldiers demonstrate courage and high skill in defending their homeland. They call on foreign volunteers to join their ranks and are ready to share with them the most modern military experience.
 

Four years ago, on February 24, 2022, russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For 4 years now, Ukrainians have been courageously defending their homeland. After all, the russian invaders are not just denying them the right to state sovereignty, but also questioning the very existence of the Ukrainian nation.

1

It should be noted right away that the russian aggression against Ukraine began not in February 2022, but 8 years earlier - in February 2014. Then a revolution took place in Ukraine, as a result of which the regime of pro-russian president Yanukovych was overthrown. Ukrainians sought to be an equal member of the European Union, not a vassal of russia.

Taking advantage of the imbalance of the state apparatus and security forces, the russians occupied and annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and soon began an undeclared war in the Ukrainian region of Donbas. This stage of russian aggression was called hybrid, because russia acted in Donbas mostly not directly, but with the help of proxy formations.

For a long time, russia tried to return the Donbas regions under its control to Ukraine on special conditions - so that they would have the right to veto important state decisions. Thus, moscow wanted to make Ukraine’s European integration impossible. When the russian ruler putin saw that he had failed, the russians resorted to full-scale aggression.

2

In russia, full-scale aggression against Ukraine was called and still is called a “special military operation”. At first, they even imprisoned those who called the war a war.

Indeed, the russian leaders planned to conduct a lightning military operation, during which they would capture the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the largest Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Odessa. They wanted to overthrow the popularly elected Ukrainian government and establish a puppet regime. But the Ukrainians gave the invaders a worthy rebuff, and the russian plans for a lightning-fast special operation fell apart. The invaders suffered heavy losses, the russians retreated from Kiev and Kharkov, and never reached Odessa.

Unable to achieve an instant victory, putin and his henchmen unleashed a full-scale war. Hatred for Ukrainians has so clouded their minds that they do not consider their own losses. Since the end of World War II (1939-1945), this is the largest war in Europe, during which the russians have already lost more than 1.2 million soldiers.

Ukraine has not threatened russia in any way. However, putin and many of his subjects are irritated by the very fact of the existence of an independent state of Ukraine.

3

The entire russian policy towards Ukraine is a vivid example of blatant lies and vile meanness. Let us recall that in 1994 Russia gave guarantees of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, when the Ukrainians abandoned their nuclear potential. In 1997, russia officially recognized the inviolability of the borders, concluding a treaty of friendship and strategic partnership with Ukraine. The current russian ruler putin also initially assured that he recognized the internationally recognized borders… But all these assurances turned out to be a cynical lie.

The further, the more blatant this lie became. Starting the “special operation”, putin assured that he would not annex any more Ukrainian regions, except for Donbas. But a little more than six months passed – and putin announced the annexation of two more Ukrainian regions, which his soldiers did not even manage to completely occupy!

For many years, russian propagandists have been lying about the “brotherhood” of Ukrainians and russians. Trying to destroy Ukrainian statehood by shelling peaceful Ukrainian cities, the russians have proven that they understand this as nothing other than the brotherly attitude of Cain towards Abel.

4

Since the first days of the full-scale russian invasion, many foreign volunteers have been fighting the russian invasion side by side with Ukrainians. They have shown themselves to be true brothers and sisters of Ukrainians.

The russian aggression is so blatantly unjust and disgusting that thousands and thousands of foreign volunteers have joined the ranks of the Ukrainian army to fight for freedom and justice (in fact, some russians are even fighting on the side of Ukraine!). Currently, more than 10,000 foreign volunteers from 75 countries of the world are fighting in the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine alone. Every month, about 600 volunteers sign contracts and join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Foreign volunteers also serve in the ranks of the Ukrainian National Guard of Ukraine and units of the Main Intelligence Directorate.

Over the past 4 years of war against a more numerous enemy, the Ukrainian army has become one of the strongest armies in the world. Ukrainian soldiers demonstrate courage and skill in defending their homeland. They call on foreign volunteers to join their ranks and are ready to share with them the most modern military experience.

***

With this text, we begin a series of publications on the background of russian aggression against Ukraine and the main events of the russian-Ukrainian war. Follow the updates on our website.
 

Ukrainian troops liberated more than 200 square kilometers of territory from russian invaders during a 5-day counteroffensive. According to military experts, the Ukrainians successfully took advantage of the situation when russians had serious communication problems. Let us recall that first russians lost their Starlink satellite communication, and then russian authorities disconnected the Telegram social network, which is important for them, from their own soldiers. https://joinuarmy.org/en/all-news/the-russians-suffer/

Ukraine is increasing the use of ground drones

In January of this year, ground robotic complexes that are in service with the Ukrainian army performed more than 7 thousand combat and logistical missions on the front line. Ukraine is systematically scaling up the use of ground drones on the battlefield. These are no longer isolated cases, but the daily practice of units, comments on the situation by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.

Now robots regularly enter high-risk areas: they evacuate the wounded, deliver ammunition, and provide logistics. These thousands of operations were previously performed by military personnel under fire, risking their lives. Now the risks to life are significantly lower, and the effectiveness of the units remains at the proper level.

This year, Ukrainian arms manufacturers plan to increase production and improve communication and control systems for ground robotic systems.

Ukraine is Europe's shield from russia's imperial encroachments

Now Ukraine is doing everything to stop the war, but the problem is that russian ruler putin wants something else. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this at the Munich Conference, an important security event that brought together leaders from about 50 countries this year.

According to the Ukrainian president, the russian ruler cannot imagine life without power. Putin dreams of russia's former imperial greatness and is not concerned with the problems of real people. The russian soldiers are paying a high price for their ruler’s aggressive delusions – about 30,000 people are killed and wounded every month.

Now the russian ruler’s attention is focused on Ukraine. But he will not let go of Europe either, because he cannot let go of the very idea of war. He may consider himself a tsar, but in reality putin is a slave of war. That is why Ukraine insists on reliable security guarantees. And not only for itself, but also for Europe. After all, russian imperialism poses a danger to the European Union as well.

European politicians should convey more clearly to their citizens that helping Ukraine is not charity, but in the interests of European countries themselves. This is what Robin Wagner, a member of the German parliament and head of the friendship group with Ukraine, says. In particular, the Germans need to be made to understand that Ukrainians are defending not only their own freedom and security with their lives, but also German freedom and security. Now European politicians say a lot of good words about Ukraine being Europe's first line of defense, but it would be more important if Europeans supported this line more.

Lesson from Ukrainian military stunned NATO military

The Ukrainian army, which has been repelling russian invasion for almost 4 years, is the strongest in Europe. And that is why Ukraine can become an important component of the European security system.
Last year, the Ukrainian military proved its high efficiency in modern warfare during joint exercises with the troops of NATO member states. According to the authoritative American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, a team of 10 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, acting as a hypothetical enemy, used drones to conventionally destroy 17 units of armored vehicles and carry out 30 strikes on other targets in half a day https://www.wsj.com/opinion/nato-has-seen-the-future-and-is-unprepared-887eaf0f. In a real war, this would mean the loss of combat capability of two battalions! At the same time, NATO troops could not even establish the location from where they were attacked, that is, they did not find the positions of Ukrainian fighters! This lesson stunned the military of the North Atlantic Alliance. The exercises showed that the troops of NATO countries involved in the exercises did not take into account how transparent the battlefield had become due to the use of drones.

The German Ministry of Defense has already decided to involve Ukrainian soldiers in training the German army in order to increase its combat readiness. The agreement on this was reached during the visit of the German Defense Minister to Ukraine, writes the authoritative German publication Spiegel https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/kriegserfahrene-ukrainer-sollen-bundeswehr-soldaten-trainieren-a-ac2ad80d-69b8-4991-9e89-86c41149a34b. According to representatives of the German command, currently no one in NATO has more combat experience than Ukraine, and the Germans should take advantage of this.
Ukrainian soldiers demonstrate courage and skill in defending their homeland. They call on foreign volunteers to join their ranks and are ready to share with them the most modern military experience.
 

The russian troops that invaded Ukraine are suffering increasing losses. In January of this year, they lost 9,000 more soldiers killed and wounded than they were able to recruit to their army over the same period of time. This was reported by the leading American business information agency Bloomberg, citing sources in the authorities of Western countries. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-11/russian-war-losses-now-exceed-recruitment-western-officials-say

At the same time, despite heavy losses, the russians have not managed to achieve noticeable successes on the battlefield. Western military analysts attribute the increased combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian troops primarily to the improvement of its drones. As previously reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, the russian army lost about 32 thousand soldiers killed and wounded in January.

It is worth noting that the russians are suffering losses not only in the combat zone. The other day, in the russian capital, moscow, the first deputy head of the main administration of the russian general staff, lieutenant general alekseev, was seriously wounded by gunfire. This high-ranking general has played an important role in the russian aggression against Ukraine since 2014. After 2022, he was accused of war crimes. He has also been under US sanctions since 2016 (for interference in the elections) and under EU sanctions since 2019 (for involvement in the poisoning). In 2024-2025, three russian generals who played an important role in the aggression against Ukraine died in moscow under various circumstances.

How russians are shooting themselves in the foot

It is not surprising that, given the disappointing news from the front and the increasingly worsening economic situation, the russian authorities have resorted to blocking the social networks WhatsApp, Telegram, and YouTube. In this way, moscow seeks to strengthen control over society and prevent the growth of protest sentiments. However, in reality, the russians have shot themselves in the foot. After all, the biggest problems due to this blocking have arisen in the russian military, who are fighting against Ukraine. They did not have time to recover after Elon Musk cut off their Starlink (we wrote about it here https://joinuarmy.org/en/all-news/the-collapse-of-russian-communications/), when their own authorities cut off their Telegram. And this social network, according to russian soldiers, played an important role in exchanging information and fighting against drones. Now they are asking their ruler in video messages to intervene in the situation and stop the blocking.

The intimidated russian society does not dare to protest, but only humbly asks the authorities and the ruler putin personally to return their messengers. Individual deputies of the russian parliament also expressed their disagreement, but the generally obedient russian parliament did not even dare to discuss this problem at its meeting.

Record aid to Ukraine

In 2026, Ukraine will receive $ 36 billion from partner states to strengthen its defense. This was announced by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine following the meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine. He noted that this is one of the largest budgets to support Ukraine.

Of this amount, more than $ 2.5 billion is provided for the production of Ukrainian drones, more than $ 2 billion for air defense, $ 500 million for the purchase of American weapons, as well as funds for artillery ammunition, personnel training, naval capabilities and other areas. A separate agreement is on the urgent delivery of anti-aircraft missiles to Patriot.

Among the largest donors are Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark.

Ukraine and France deepen cooperation

The Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and France signed a Letter of Intent on joint production of weapons. This agreement paves the way for the implementation of large joint projects in the defense-industrial sector. The parties agreed on key priorities for defense cooperation. In addition, within the framework of the delegation meeting, the French side informed about the preparation for the transfer to Ukraine of additional Mirage aircraft and guided aerial bombs and long-range weapons. The parties paid special attention to the development of Ukraine's air defense.

Earlier, a similar agreement on cooperation in the defense-industrial sector was signed by the Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and Great Britain.

Moldova recognizes the merits of Ukrainians

Moldova's President Maia Sandu rejected the proposal for a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, emphasizing that the real heroes are Ukrainian prisoners of war and those who sacrifice themselves for peace in the region.

They wanted to nominate her "for her active role in protecting democracy, the rule of law and peace in the country." In response, Sandu thanked them, but noted that there are more worthy candidates for this high award, in particular those who really sacrifice themselves for peace and security. Thus, the head of Moldova recognizes that at the forefront of protecting democracy and the rule of law are Ukrainian soldiers who defend Europe from russian imperialism.

Foreign volunteers serving in the Ukrainian Defense Forces will receive temporary residency benefits and will have a series of social guarantees and expanded access to medical care. The President of Ukraine sanctioned the proposed law on February 9.

Until now, the only document a foreign volunteer in Ukraine had was a military identity card. However, some administrative companies required a residence permit. Now, foreigners who have a signed contract with the Ukrainian Defense Forces will receive a residence permit for the entire period of service and for three months after its termination or rescission of the contract. The process of issuing documents for their family members is also simplified.

With this benefit, foreigners will be covered by the same guarantees regarding medical care as Ukrainian citizens.

The law, which will come into effect in three months, is designed to ensure equal and fair conditions of service for all military personnel, regardless of citizenship. And in the future, the law is designed to better integrate those foreign volunteers who defended Ukraine from Russian aggression with weapons in their hands and decided to stay here.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published an explanation of the algorithm for obtaining combatant status for foreign volunteers (UBD). https://mod.gov.ua/en/news/combatant-status-for-foreign-nationals-rights-and-granting-procedure

Foreigners who stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians in the ranks of the Defense Forces have the same rights to recognition of their merits as citizens of Ukraine. If a foreigner is serving under a contract in the Defense Forces of Ukraine and took direct part in hostilities, he/she has the full right to combatant status and appropriate social guarantees.

The same procedures apply to foreign military personnel as to citizens of Ukraine. The main condition is the availability of documents confirming the fact of performing combat missions. Your service and combat experience are the only criteria for granting status.

Currently, there are two ways to register a UBD: automatically or through a special commission. In the first case, an authorized person of the military unit enters data on the performance of combat missions into the Unified State Register of War Veterans within 5 days after the start of the task. The status is granted automatically.

If it is impossible to grant status automatically, the commander of the military unit submits a package of necessary documents for consideration by the Interdepartmental Commission (through the Ministry of Veterans), which considers the documents within 30 days and makes an appropriate decision. A foreigner also has the right to independently collect documents and send them to the Interdepartmental Commission - through the Ministry of Veterans or through the Center for the Provision of Administrative Services.

If documents are submitted for consideration by the Interdepartmental Commission by a military unit, the package must include:

• a copy of the passport with a translation into Ukrainian;

• a copy of the document certifying registration in the State Register of Individuals - Taxpayers;

• certificate (original) of form No. 6 according to (document confirming stay in the combat zone).

If the documents are submitted independently, an extract from the information and analytical system “Record of information on bringing a person to criminal liability and the presence of a criminal record” is attached to the package.

If you submit documents independently and add materials in a foreign language (for example, personal documents), they must have a certified translation into Ukrainian. It is important that the transliteration of the name and surname in military documents corresponds to your passport (or its official translation).

Obtaining the status of a combat participant is a good reason for further processing a permit for immigration to Ukraine or acquiring Ukrainian citizenship under a simplified procedure after the contract is completed, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine emphasizes.
 

The russian invaders are paralyzed on the front due to the shutdown of unregistered Starlink satellite communication terminals. As a result, the occupying russian troops have actually lost communication. Judging by the reports of russian soldiers and commanders, they are not even having a problem on the fronts, but a caos: all troop control has collapsed, assault operations have been stopped in many areas.

This happened after the new Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called on the head of SpaceX Elon Musk at the end of January to make it impossible for the russians to use Starlink. As a result, the company took measures that turned out to be quite effective.

Ukrainians hit the training ground from which putin scared Europe

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have launched a series of successful strikes on the infrastructure of the russian Kapustin Yar missile training ground. Several hangars where pre-launch preparation of intercontinental ballistic missiles was carried out, and other buildings were hit. As a result, the russians had to evacuate a significant part of the personnel from the range. The strikes were carried out by Ukrainian-made strike weapons, in particular, Ukrainian long-range missiles FP-5 "Flamingo".

"Kapustin Yar" is one of the leading russian missile ranges, created back in the days of the USSR. Last year, it became famous for the fact that launches of russian medium-range ballistic missiles "Oreshnik" took place from here. Thus, the russian ruler putin tried to intimidate not only Ukrainians, but also European countries that help Ukraine resist russian aggression. They say, "Oreshnik" turns everything to ashes. But, as we see, the Ukrainians have something to answer to russian intimidation.

Great honor to be with Ukrainians – NATO Secretary General in Kyiv

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization will fully support Ukraine, both during the war and after the signing of a peace agreement. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated this during a visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. After all, Ukraine's security is important for the security of all of Europe.

The NATO Secretary General expressed solidarity with the Ukrainians who are fighting the russian invasion.

"It is a great honor to be with you today! The Ukrainian nation is fighting with great determination and courage!", said Rutte, speaking in the Ukrainian parliament.

He emphasized that NATO will continue training Ukrainian troops and providing weapons. Member countries of the Alliance will steadily fund the program to purchase American weapons for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. For 2026, a budget of US $15 billion in aid is estimated.

"We are learning from you. You are constantly applying innovations. For the benefit of this cooperation with NATO," Rutte noted.

He witnessed the destruction by russian missiles of a Ukrainian thermal power plant. The fact that russia is attacking the infrastructure of Ukrainian cities and civilians during the harsh winter demonstrates its unwillingness to seriously engage in peace talks and shows its inability to fight on the battlefield. 

Ukrainian soldiers are courageously and skillfully defending their homeland and are calling on foreign volunteers to join their ranks in the fight for freedom.

Achievements and innovations of Ukrainian gunsmiths

At the same time, it is worth noting that Ukraine is increasing the production of defense products and is becoming less dependent on imports. According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in 2025, the share of weapons, equipment and ammunition contracted for the Ukrainian troops from Ukrainian manufacturers increased from 46% to 82% compared to the previous year.

This year, the army will receive new models of highly effective weapons. In particular, the Defense Forces of Ukraine recently began receiving an improved version of the fiber-optic strike drone "Baton Optik" with a range of over 30 km. This exceeds the capabilities of similar copters. Thanks to this, it is effective against enemy artillery, as well as against lightly armored vehicles and field fortifications.

Fiber-optic control and video transmission channels are fully protected from the effects of enemy electronic warfare. Equipped with efficient electric motors and capacious batteries, the drone "Baton Optik" of the updated version can operate effectively day, night and in poor visibility conditions.

The russian soldiers die for the sake of false propaganda

After the defeat of russian troops in the city of Kupyansk, the russian chief of staff, general gerasimov, announced that russian soldiers had captured the neighboring city of Kupyansk-Vuzlovy. However, without proof of the city's capture, this generated yet another false statement.

To try to prove the false propaganda, the russians sent a reconnaissance group to the city to raise flags and obtain some photos and videos as proof. But the Ukrainian soldiers defended the position. According to the commander of the Ukrainian battalion defending the city of Kupyansk-Vuzlovy, the Russian aggressors were killed; they were part of the 153rd russian Tank Regiment. And although they tried to enter the city without their tanks, their flags still became Ukrainian trophies.

The result was not as expected by the russian propagandists. Don't be fooled by the lies spread by russian propaganda.

Ukraine has become a world leader in the production and effective use of ground robotic complexes on the battlefield. It has achieved unprecedented success in this area. The leading American business magazine Forbes writes about this in an article with the telling title “Rise of the robots: Russian soldiers surrender to Ukrainian machines”. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2026/01/27/rise-of-the-robots-russian-soldiers-surrender-to-ukrainian-machine/ The article begins with a stunning episode of Russian soldiers surrendering to a Ukrainian ground drone armed with a machine gun. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UpxGr32hMmM

In the Ukrainian army, robots are already indispensable both for replenishing supplies on the front line and for evacuating the wounded. Recently, they have been increasingly used in both offensive and defensive combat operations. Now they are increasingly visible and effective directly on the battlefield. The Ukrainian military is also successfully using a combination of drones and combat robotic vehicles.

The production of ground robotic complexes for various purposes in Ukraine has rapidly scaled up. From several hundred in 2024, to thousands in 2025, and this year it is planned to send more than 20,000 ground robotic complexes to the troops. At least 200 different models from about 40 Ukrainian manufacturers are used. At the same time, if at first these were imported machines, then by the end of 2025 99% were made in Ukraine.

The rapid progress of the industry is primarily due to effective and close cooperation between manufacturers and the military on the front line. Engineers create machines that exactly meet the requirements of the unit they work with, and feedback received during combat operations is taken into account during improvement, which usually lasts several weeks. Robots are relatively easy to assemble from readily available components and are relatively cheap compared to armored vehicles.

Ukraine’s success in the production and use of ground combat vehicles is all the more astonishing when you consider that richer and more technically advanced countries cannot boast of anything like this. For example, the US military has much larger budgets, a more powerful technological base, and they began working on the creation of military robotic vehicles back in 1985. But the combat robotic complexes they developed were never used. In 2019, the Americans launched a new program to create combat robotic vehicles, but in 2025 they curtailed it, probably due to high costs and unobvious results.

In fact, decades of research and development have led to nothing! It’s completely different in Ukraine – a short process and an obvious result. In the fall of 2024, the first video of a Ukrainian robotic combat vehicle in action appeared, and since then, there has been more and more evidence of their successful use.

Some commentators say that robots will never replace the infantryman. But still, their role on the battlefield is becoming increasingly important. Ukrainian robotic combat vehicles not only attack and hold the defense, but also affect the morale of the enemy. When your side suffers losses, and your opponent fights remotely and does not shed blood, the fight can seem futile. Especially when there is the possibility of safe and easy surrender.

Clashes between robotic combat vehicles and aerial drones are just beginning, and it is impossible to predict how this type of war will evolve. How robot-to-robot combat technologies develop will likely become a major factor in shaping future wars, Forbes suggests.

Indeed, war is evolving rapidly. But it is now obvious that Ukrainian ground robotic systems do not have a worthy counterpart on the battlefield.
 

Invaders by russian are paying a high price for their bizarre desire to seize Ukrainian land. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in 2025 the russians lost:

– 418,170 killed and wounded soldiers,

– 1,816 tanks,

– 3,806 armored combat vehicles,

– 14,146 artillery systems,

– 331 multiple launch rocket systems,

– 234 air defense systems,

– 65 aircraft,

– 17 helicopters,

– 1 submarine

– 40,106 vehicles and special equipment.

It is noteworthy that last year, more than 80% of enemy targets were hit by Ukrainian warplanes using drones. Moreover, as the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized, in an absolute situation, the enemy were Ukrainian-made drones.

A significant part of the russian aviation – 12 aircraft and 3 helicopters – was destroyed by the Security Service of Ukraine. As we can see, the Ukrainian special service is able not only to detect and neutralize enemy agents on its territory, but also to detect and destroy enemy aircraft in their bases using drones.

“Surprise” for the invaders

However, despite huge losses, the russian invaders continue to maintain a numerical advantage, which allows them to attack. This is not surprising, because russia is much larger than Ukraine and has a greater mobilization resource. And the russian ruler putin does not show much interest in concluding a peace agreement.

In view of this, President Zelensky set the task for the Defense Forces of Ukraine: to ensure such a level of losses of the occupiers that they exceed enemy replenishments. Optimally, it should be 50 thousand killed and wounded enemies per month.

“This is certainly a difficult task, but nevertheless, it is important for russia to start considering what they are doing and what they are fighting for,” the President of Ukraine said.

Last year, russia’s average monthly losses amounted to approximately 35 thousand killed and wounded.

If drones attack…

Ukraine is not only developing drone production and training top-class operators, but also improving the means and techniques of countering enemy drones. After all, the russians also understand the effectiveness of this type of weapon and actively use it.

At the Land Forces Academy, future Ukrainian officers, among other things, learn to detect, classify and neutralize drones. They take a special course where they are taught to determine the optimal way to neutralize the drone threat, the features of controlling units when countering drones, and undergo training with anti-drone towels and other means of electronic warfare. Not only future officers, but also all new recruits of the Ukrainian army undergo training in countering drones.

Ukraine is also improving protection against russian long-range Shaheds and other strike drones everywhere.

The city that became a trap for the enemy

Ukrainian troops continue to clear the city of Kupyansk from the encircled group of russian troops. During reconnaissance of the central part of the city, fighters of the 8th Special Operations Regiment discovered a group of russian soldiers who had set up positions in a dilapidated supermarket and a neighboring house. As a result of an attack unexpected for the enemy, Ukrainian special forces eliminated this position, and its garrison was destroyed or captured. Thanks to this successful work of the special forces group, neighboring Ukrainian units also moved forward.

Somewhat earlier, fighters of the National Guard from the Khartiia unit cleared the Kupyansk city hall building of russians and raised the Ukrainian flag over it.

The russian command is making attempts to break through the encirclement ring, but all these attempts are unsuccessful. Let us recall that the russian ruler putin has been repeatedly reported that Kupyansk is completely under russian control. But as a result, the Ukrainian president came to the city, and for the russians it became a trap.

A Ukrainian robot captured russian soldiers

The Ukrainian ground robotic equipment Droid TW-7.62 captured three russian soldiers. In this video (LINK)), you can see how this moment was captured by the video camera of a combat robotic vehicle.
This is what modern war looks like: robots are on the front lines, people are safe.

Droid TW-7.62 is a reconnaissance and strike ground robotic complex armed with a machine gun. Thanks to its built-in modern equipment, the provides high accuracy and fire efficiency. It is equipped with elements of artificial intelligence for autonomous detection, capture and tracking of targets.

Combat robotic vehicles are playing an increasingly important role on the battlefield, performing logistical, evacuation and combat missions. The Ukrainian army has unique experience in the practical application of such complexes, which no other army has.

Ukrainian soldiers demonstrate courage and high skill in defending the homeland. They are calling on foreign volunteers to join their rank