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.