The Russian army has reportedly started attacking transport connections between the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy, according to a flash report.

Ukraine is preparing a 'logistical lockdown' for the Russian army in the south, with the defense minister pledging additional funds for drones to target Russian logistics and cut off supply routes to Crimea.

Reports indicate that the Russian army is utilizing old pipelines to infiltrate positions near Kupyansk in Ukraine. One report suggests the average lifespan of a Russian soldier in this brutal battle is as short as 10 minutes.

Families of three youths from Gopalganj allege that their relatives were 'sold' and taken to an army camp after reaching Russia, raising concerns about human trafficking.

A youth from Punjab, India, has been reported missing for eight months after allegedly being recruited into the Russian army, raising concerns among his family.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Bražė ridiculed the slow pace of the Russian army's offensive on the front and called for increased military support for Ukraine.

According to Hnatov, the Russian army is currently engaged in combat operations in Ukraine despite experiencing a significant shortage of manpower on the battlefield.

A man from Mymensingh, Bangladesh, was reportedly killed in a drone strike in Ukraine after joining the Russian army. His family confirmed his death to The Daily Star.

Tens of thousands of individuals from over 130 countries have reportedly joined the Russian army to fight against Ukraine, with human rights organizations suggesting that some recruitment involves human trafficking.

A new report highlights Cuba and Colombia as primary recruitment hubs for the Russian army in Latin America, detailing Moscow's deceptive tactics to enlist foreign fighters, many of whom are sent to the front without training.

A senior Russian defense official has denied claims that university students are facing pressure to join drone forces. The official also stated that commanders are explicitly prohibited from transferring drone recruits to other military branches without their written consent.

Russia's Ministry of Defense has proposed simplifying the procedure for controlling alcohol consumption among military personnel, following reports of a significant increase in the recruitment of individuals with alcohol dependency into the army.

Defectors report the Russian army is in a terrible state, having suffered heavy losses over four years of war in Ukraine. This raises questions about its long-term sustainability and whether it still poses a genuine threat to NATO.

Russian actor Artur Smolyaninov has been sentenced in absentia to eight years in a penal colony by a Moscow court for "military fakes about the Russian army," according to Mediazona. The charges reportedly stem from an interview with Novaya Gazeta Europe where Smolyaninov made critical statements.

Evidence suggests the Russian army is actively recruiting university students for its drone units, with students reporting that university officials are encouraging them to join the war effort.

The Russian army has lost at least 20 generals since the start of its full-scale aggression against Ukraine, a development described as a "strong moral blow" within Russia.

A 22-year-old man from Rampur, India, was killed while serving in the Russian army in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His family alleges he was coerced into military service after going abroad for work.

A court in Bosnia and Herzegovina has rejected an indictment against Dario Ristić, a Bosnian citizen accused by the BiH Prosecutor's Office of joining the Russian army in November 2023.

The Russian army attacked Dnipro, Ukraine, resulting in damage to a multi-story residential building and reported casualties.

The Russian army has attacked the positions of Ukraine's Defense Forces 116 times since the beginning of the day, with the greatest pressure observed in the Pokrovsk sector and increased activity in Kostiantynivka and Huliaipol.

The industrial city of Dnipro, considered a stronghold of the Jewish community, is profiled as the 'heart of Ukraine,' embodying the country's history and its resistance to the Russian army's advances four years into the war.

The Russian army attacked the Brovary community in the Kyiv region, causing damage to businesses, residential homes, and vehicles, and sparking a fire.

A study by 'Važnije istorii' and the 'Open Source Centre' indicates that North Korea has supplied millions of shells to the Russian army over two and a half years. This finding is based on documents detailing ammunition transfers.

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian army attacked approximately 31 settlements in the Sumy region with drones, damaging energy infrastructure and railroad tracks; two people were killed, and nine…

Ukraine's military intelligence agency, HUR, announced on Saturday that it attacked and damaged two Russian army ships in the Black Sea, rendering a railway ferry inoperable and damaging another vessel.

Ukraine's air defense forces neutralized 117 drones used by the Russian army to attack the country since last evening. Hits by a ballistic missile and eight additional enemy strike UAVs were recorded at several locations.

The Russian army cannot recover after being cut off from Starlink communications. Ukraine is releasing more and more new drones, devastating the aggressor's rear.

The Ukrainian armed forces have announced that they have recovered almost all the territory in the Dnipropetrovsk region that had been captured by the Russian army.

Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully hit several Russian army targets, including an air defense system, a landing craft, and command posts, in occupied Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

An infrastructure facility in Odesa was hit during a massive Russian missile and drone attack.

Russian troops dropped a 500-kilogram aerial bomb on Kramatorsk during the night, injuring six people, including three children.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu commented on the energy crisis in Transnistria, stating that Chisinau and its European partners can do little while the Russian army remains in the region.

Russian troops attacked a civilian vehicle in the Mykolaiv rural community in Ukraine's Sumy region, resulting in injuries to three people.

The total combat losses of Russian troops from February 24, 2022, to March 4, 2026, in the war against Ukraine amount to approximately 1,269,500 people, including 980 people in the previous day.

A court in Ulan-Ude fined Anton Saikhiev, an Azov Brigade-related convict, 30,000 rubles for 'discrediting' the Russian army.

Russian troops are conducting rotations, replenishing units, and preparing for limited assault operations in several areas of the southern front, though a large-scale spring offensive is not currently expected.

Between the morning of March 1 and the morning of March 2, Russian troops launched more than 90 strikes on 25 settlements in 11 communities in the Sumy region, injuring four people.

The Russian army used 738 missiles, more than 14,670 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 19,000 strike drones against Ukraine over the winter.

The total combat losses of Russian troops from February 24, 2022, to February 28, 2026, in the war against Ukraine amount to approximately 1,265,900 people, including 770 people over the past day.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with Elon Musk and SpaceX, has effectively cut off Russian troops' communications by addressing their use of Starlink, leading to an elevenfold drop in data streams.

Agents of the ATESH guerrilla movement carried out a successful sabotage operation on a Russian army communications facility near Sevastopol, resulting in the destruction of radio-electronic warfare antennas that were interfering with Ukrainian drones in the area.

At least two South Africans have died in Ukraine while fighting for the Russian army, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday, specifying that the two victims had been…

After four years of war, the Russian army is increasingly relying on brutal, small-group attacks with two or three soldiers to exploit weaknesses in Ukrainian defenses, a tactic reminiscent of the old

More than 1,780 mercenaries from 36 African countries are fighting against Ukraine in the Russian army, recruited by Russia through fraudulent schemes.

The Russian army attacked two districts of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region with FPV drones and artillery shelling, resulting in one person being wounded.

Certain units of the Russian army have reportedly received cash bonuses for February for successful FPV drone strikes against Ukrainian servicemen in the Huliaipole sector.

"You stand firmly behind Russia, for Russia, acting coordinately and efficiently," Putin said, TASS Russian state news agency reported. He added that "the competent and courageous actions of the soldiers

From February 24, 2022, to February 22, 2026, the total combat losses of the Russian army amount to approximately 1,259,780 soldiers. 890 aggressor soldiers were eliminated over the past day.

Hundreds of Kenyans have reportedly been tricked into fighting on the front lines in Ukraine as expendable troops for the Russian army, many unaware of their true mission.

AFP reported last week that a local agency in Kenya had duped men there into going to Russia under the pretense of well-paid jobs.

Ukraine's capacity to hinder the flow of Russian supplies and military personnel to the front lines has increased in recent days, forcing the Russian army into a stalemate.

Ukraine's military reported that Russia lost 1,020 soldiers and two MLRS in the ongoing war over the past 24 hours. These figures highlight continued heavy casualties for Russian forces.

The Russian army has reportedly fully occupied the strategic cities of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in eastern Ukraine after months of fierce fighting, according to analysts monitoring the front line.

The Russian Army is reportedly preparing an 'appropriate' response following accusations that Latvia is hosting Ukrainian drones, a claim NATO has dismissed.

Russian forces launched an attack on Sunday morning, targeting an enterprise located in the Myrhorod district of Ukraine's Poltava region.

The Russian army launched an attack on Zaporizhzhia, resulting in damage to the city's industrial infrastructure.

Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that the Russian army has intensified operations across nearly the entire front line and is regrouping forces, concentrating approximately 106,000 troops in the Pokrovsk direction.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, announced that 450,000 people signed contracts to join the Russian army last year, with 127,000 joining this year, fueling speculation about potential mobilization.

Russian forces have launched renewed drone attacks on Mykolaiv's energy infrastructure, causing significant power cuts across the city.

A family in the Kurdistan Region is anxiously awaiting news of their son, who went missing after reportedly joining the Russian army.

According to the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), the Russian army is learning quickly from the war in Ukraine, becoming larger, more effective, and more inventive than before the 2022 conflict. China is also reportedly learning from this.

Agents of the ATESH partisan movement carried out sabotage, disabling a substation in Russia's Voronezh region, directly impacting the logistics of a Russian army grouping on the Kharkiv axis.

Between 20,000 and 30,000 foreign soldiers, mostly from impoverished nations, are reportedly fighting for the Russian army in Ukraine, many having been lured by false promises of work in Russia.

The Russian army has attacked Odesa, with preliminary reports indicating that a nine-story residential building has been hit.

The fall of a Russian aerial bomb has been recorded again in the Belgorod region: the FAB-250 munition "accidentally separated" over the village of Belovskoye in the Belgorod district on March 12, reports The Moscow Times.

Arte and ARD are airing documentaries on the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, highlighting its ongoing relevance and the Russian army's exploitation of radiation risks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted that the country's armed forces are experiencing persistent problems with the supply of uniforms and textiles, which are produced exclusively domestically.

The Russian army is attempting to intensify its offensive operations on the front lines.

The Russian army has initiated a spring offensive, launching hundreds of kamikaze drones against Ukrainian cities, including a rare daytime attack that struck the historic center of Lviv, which Ukrainian officials have already deemed unsuccessful.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Russian army has intensified its attacks on the front lines in recent days, with the only tangible result being a sharp rise in Russian military casualties, as Ukrainian forces inflict heavy losses.

The Russian army attacked an industrial infrastructure facility in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, causing damage.

The Russian army carried out over 30 strikes on Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region since morning, resulting in two people dead and five wounded.

An Azerbaijani student has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and three years of probation for selling Starlink satellite internet systems and other military goods to the Russian army, as well as violating international sanctions.

Kenya's government has reportedly pressured the Kremlin to stop recruiting Kenyans for the Russian army, following pressure from families. Over a thousand Kenyans had joined the Russian forces to fight in Ukraine, attracted by high salaries and recruitment bonuses.

Seven more children and teenagers have been successfully returned to Ukraine from Russian-occupied territories, where they reportedly faced pressure, humiliation, and attempts to impose a Russian identity, with some even targeted for mobilization into the Russian army.

On the evening of March 12, the Russian army attacked port infrastructure in the Odesa region with strike drones, damaging a food warehouse on the port territory.

The Russian army has conducted 65 attacks on Ukrainian defender positions since the beginning of the day, with the most intense battles occurring in the Kostiantynivka sector, and high activity also noted in the Pokrovsk and Huliaipole sectors.

The Kremlin has changed its approach to recruiting foreigners into the Russian army to participate in the war against Ukraine; in particular, recruitment is now carried out on a systematic basis.

Ukrainian long-range missile forces and special operations units conducted a rare attack on a Russian army facility believed to house lethal drones and their launch systems.

Air Defense Forces destroyed 98 out of 117 drones used by Russian troops to attack Ukraine since the evening of March 7. Drones and ballistic missiles hit 11 locations.

Since the beginning of the day, the Russian army has attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders 42 times. The most intense attacks are in the Pokrovsk sector.

A court has sentenced a Russian commander, known by the alias Klyon, for ordering civilians to be held in a school basement in Yahidne as 'human shields,' resulting in the deaths of ten residents.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to increase the regular Russian army's personnel to almost 2.4 million soldiers, according to a Russian legal acts website.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the Russian army has paid an 'unimaginable price in blood' in the war against Ukraine and called for increased pressure on Moscow to end the conflict.

The Russian army launched attacks on the Nikopol district in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region using FPV drones and artillery.

The Russian army carried out a UAV strike on a critical infrastructure facility in the Chuhuiv community of the Kharkiv region, leaving one settlement without electricity and causing water supply problems in the administrative center.

The Russian invaders are facing logistical and management difficulties due to the shutdown of Starlink.

Over the past day, five people were injured in Ukraine's Sumy region as a result of shelling by the Russian army.

Russian occupying forces carried out 781 strikes on 36 settlements in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region over the past 24 hours, resulting in one fatality and two injuries.

Russian troops launched more than 30 drone and artillery attacks on three districts of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, damaging civilian facilities.

A report details how the Russian army acquired radio bridge antennas through Latvian intermediary firms, highlighting how civilian communication devices are becoming part of military infrastructure in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

A Hungarian public media program on the horrors of war featured videos of Hungarian-speaking Ukrainian prisoners of war praising the Russian army's good treatment.

Kenyan police have arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of recruiting Kenyans for the Russian army, identifying him as a key figure in a human trafficking network.

SpaceX's Starlink terminals suddenly became inactive, and Russian soldiers on the front line could no longer coordinate operations.

Flags on government buildings have been lowered to half-mast, as Georgia commemorates the 105th anniversary of the Russian army’s capture of Tbilisi on February 25, 1921, a date that marked a milestone in the Soviet occupation ending of the brief independence of the First Republic of Georgia (1918-1921). The occupation came despite Russia’s formal recognition …

On the night of February 25, the Russian army attacked Ukraine with 115 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmás, and other types of drones, with Ukrainian air defense forces shooting down 95 of them.

Russian troops are regrouping assault units and preparing to resume active combat operations in the area of the village of Stepnohirsk in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The Russian president added that "competent and brave actions of the soldiers enabled the planning and execution of offensive operations in the most intense sectors"

The past year of the war became the first for the Russian military in which its manpower losses in Ukraine exceeded its level of recruitment.

The total combat losses of Russian troops in manpower from February 24, 2022, to February 22, 2026, reached about 1,259,780 people, 890 of whom were eliminated in the last 24 hours.

Despite being significantly smaller, Ukraine's innovative capabilities are proving to be a strategic advantage, pushing the Russian army onto the defensive.

The Russian army reportedly lost 1,410 troops in the war against Ukraine over the past 24 hours, bringing total combat losses to approximately 1,365,470 personnel since February 2022.

Ukraine's military reported that Russia lost 1,430 troops and nearly 600 pieces of military equipment in the past 24 hours. These figures reflect the ongoing intensity of the conflict.

Ukraine has launched a broad logistics blocking program against Russia, escalating medium-range strikes on Russian army supply lines to diminish the aggressor's capabilities in occupied territories.

The Russian army reportedly lost 1,000 troops and 39 artillery systems in Ukraine over the past day. These figures highlight ongoing significant military casualties and equipment losses for Russia in the conflict.

The Indian government has stated that 217 Indian citizens joined the Russian army, with 49 of them having died.

Luong Minh Tuan, a Vietnamese fighter captured by Ukrainians, recounted horrifying experiences in the Russian army, including beatings, suicides in trenches, and desertions, as Russia increasingly recruits foreigners to compensate for losses.

Ukraine's Sumy Oblast endured severe Russian shelling and drone attacks, leading to civilian fatalities and injuries, including a woman killed in a car and a man on a road. The assaults also caused significant damage to an apartment building and other areas.

The Russian army has reportedly lost 1,140 troops in the war against Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian military reports indicate significant Russian personnel and equipment losses over the past 24 hours. Figures range from 1,170 to 1,230 soldiers, alongside dozens of artillery systems and other military hardware.

A former aide to ex-Defense Minister Shoigu has been indicted for allegedly embezzling billions of rubles from the Russian army, with authorities seeking to seize luxury properties.

North Korea has reportedly earned an estimated $13 billion over the last three years through its military support to Russia, a partnership deemed crucial for maintaining the Russian army's artillery ammunition reserves.

On May 6, the Russian army reportedly killed three residents and wounded six others in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

The UK has imposed new sanctions targeting a Russian army recruitment network and drone suppliers. British officials condemned the network as 'barbaric' for luring foreign nationals with work promises only to force them into frontline combat or military production in Ukraine.

According to Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, the Russian army has experienced a net loss of personnel for the fifth consecutive month, with more troops being lost than recruited since December 2025.

The strategic importance of Tuapse, a key fuel source for the Russian army in Ukraine, has been highlighted amidst reports of its destruction and a fierce Russian reaction, sparking debate over its ecological impact versus its role as a target.

The Russian army launched a drone attack on Odesa, Ukraine, on the night of April 27, targeting residential buildings and a hotel, resulting in injuries to civilians, including two children.

General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, stated on Tuesday that Russian invasion troops in Ukraine are advancing towards the "fortified belt" in Donbas, having conquered 1,700 square kilometers this year.

Three former employees of the Danish defense force are seeking millions in compensation after being fired due to loose family connections to individuals active in the Russian army's Spetsnaz special unit, which their lawyer argues is a violation.

A DW reporter visited Donbas, where the Russian army is advancing towards Kostiantinivka with the goal of full occupation. The report highlights the experiences of people still living and fighting in the area and neighboring cities.

Russian forces launched multiple guided aerial bombs at Kharkiv Oblast, with one strike causing a fire in the city and another hitting a dam. Six guided aerial bombs were reportedly dropped on the dam.

The Russian army carried out an airstrike on the center of Kramatorsk on Saturday morning, April 11, resulting in injuries to 10 people.

Russian sources report a shortage of surface-to-air missiles, particularly for drone defense systems, as Ukraine's campaign against Russian air defenses creates gaps. The situation for the Russian army in the western Zaporizhzhia region is reportedly worsening.

The Russian army hit Kharkiv for the second time in one day.

Paweł Konzal suggests that a contribution of 50 PLN from every Pole could fund 'green bricks' to strengthen the environment on Poland's eastern border, creating a natural barrier against the Russian army.

The Russian army has initiated a large-scale spring offensive in eastern Ukraine, reportedly employing new tactics, with attacks intensifying daily according to CNN and ISW analyses.

The Russian army has launched 54 attacks on Ukrainian defense positions since morning, with the most intense fighting reported in the Pokrovsk sector.

The Russian army has claimed control of a border village in Ukraine's Sumy region, as it continues efforts to establish a 'buffer zone' and make small breakthroughs across the border.

A DTEK crew in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region was targeted by the Russian army using two drones, indicating continued attacks on energy infrastructure.

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian army launched strikes on Kharkiv and 16 other settlements in the region, injuring ten people.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine's Defense Forces successfully thwarted a strategic, large-scale offensive operation by the Russian Army, thanking the military for defending Ukrainian positions.

DeepState analysts have reported that the Russian army has advanced south from the village of Yablunivka in the Yunakivka hromada in Sumy Oblast. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]

Western intelligence reports suggest that the Russian army has entered a phase of degradation that cannot be halted, even by increased production of missiles and drones.

Ukraine has reported its first territorial gains since 2023, liberating parts of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia, as President Zelenskyy claims Russia is losing up to 35,000 soldiers monthly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has changed a law that would allow the deployment of the Russian army in countries where Russian citizens are arrested.

Vladimir Putin has signed a law prohibiting the extradition of foreigners and stateless persons who are serving or have served under contract in the Russian army. The law aims to prevent their prosecution or punishment abroad.

The Russian army reportedly struck firefighters in the Samar district of Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region while they were responding to the aftermath of a nighttime attack.

Russian troops attacked the Central district of Kherson overnight on March 6, resulting in damage to buildings.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to expand the country's regular army to nearly 2.4 million soldiers, implementing permanent recruitment and abandoning the seasonal strategy.

In Kherson, a 76-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man were killed as a result of Russian shelling, and criminal proceedings have been launched.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Russian army failed to achieve its objectives last year and will struggle with territorial advances, adding that he has seen Russia's plans for the next two years.

The Russian army carried out a UAV strike on a critical infrastructure facility in the Chuhuiv community of the Kharkiv region, leaving one settlement without electricity and causing water supply…

Norwegian armed forces observed a Russian Su-35S fighter jet, leading to speculation about potential supply shortages within the Russian army.

The Russian army is attempting to bypass Ukrainian forces from the northeast and southwest in the Myrnohrad area of Donetsk Oblast, aiming for an operational encirclement after failed direct breakthroughs.

On February 28, Russian forces attacked three districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region throughout the day, injuring two civilians.

The Russian army has attacked Ukrainian positions 57 times since the start of the day, with the greatest activity concentrated in the Huliaipole and Pokrovsk sectors.

The Russian army once again shelled port infrastructure in Odesa region during the night.

Yesterday, the Russian army struck 19 settlements in Sumy region, injuring a civilian woman.

Given the battlefield stalemate in Ukraine, Kyiv’s best remaining hope is attrition — inflicting losses on the Russian army heavy enough to persuade the Kremlin that continuing the war is pointless. In recent weeks, Ukrainian politicians and military commanders have been explicit about this goal. President Zelensky has even put a number on it: 50,000 Russian soldiers killed per month. At first glance, the data seem to suggest that Ukraine is closing in on that target: obituary databases and o...

Kyiv is reportedly coordinating with Baghdad in an effort to prevent the recruitment of Iraqi citizens into the Russian army, according to the Ukrainian Ambassador.

In the Chasiv Yar area of the Donetsk region, the Russian army is deploying tanks and armored vehicles this week, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are detecting and eliminating the enemy as they approach.

Russian forces killed three civilians in the Donetsk region on February 21, with casualties reported in Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, and Orikhuvatka.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated in an interview with the Parisian newspaper Le Monde that Russian army losses have exceeded the number of those recruited.

Anti-drone netting covering tanks at an oil depot in Velikiye Luki, Russia. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor Ukraine carried out a long-range drone attack against a Russian oil depot on Wednesday night. A Ukrainian security source said anti-drone netting at the facility failed to stop the attack. Anti-drone netting has emerged as a common makeshift defense tactic on and off the battlefield. Ukrainian drones struck a Russian oil depot overnight, breaking through the netting that had been installed earlier to protect the site from such attacks, a security official told Business Insider on Thursday. Long-range Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Velikiye Luki, a city in western Russia's Pskov region, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said. They were only authorized to speak on the condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. The source said protective anti-drone nets had been stretched above fuel tanks at the oil depot. The facility belongs to the company Pskovnefteproduct and is located nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The nets were unable to prevent the strike from doing damage, the source added. Satellite imagery captured in December by US spatial intelligence firm Vantor and analyzed by Business Insider, shows what appears to be anti-drone netting covering roughly 15 tanks at the depot in Velikiye Luki. Anti-drone netting is seen in this December 14, 2025, image of storage tanks at Velikiye Luki. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor Anti-drone netting covering tanks at an oil depot in Velikiye Luki, Russia. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor Several explosions and a large fire were reported at the oil facility, the source said, citing local channels on the Telegram messaging app. Video footage shared on social media shows a massive blaze burning through a structure resembling anti-drone netting. This kind of netting has been spotted at other oil facilities in Russia in recent months. The tactic underscores how the country is turning to crude-looking, improvised defenses to protect energy infrastructure from ongoing Ukrainian attacks. "Vietnam, run!" - overnight, drones from the Special Operations Center "Alpha" of the Security Service of Ukraine successfully struck the Velikolukskaya oil depot. A large fire broke out at the site. Anti-drone nets had been stretched over the fuel storage tanks, but they did not… pic.twitter.com/bLBxuHNxtm — WarTranslated (@wartranslated) February 19, 2026 Concerns over the high drone saturation have led to similar measures on the battlefield. Anti-drone netting is common near the front lines. Ukrainian soldiers are using this material to cover critical logistics routes. And both militaries have added cage-like fencing to their armored vehicles to protect against drones. Additionally, Russia has also installed makeshift defenses, such as large, floating barriers, to protect its ports from the Ukrainian naval drones that have wreaked havoc on its Black Sea Fleet. The Ukrainian attack on Wednesday night marked Kyiv's latest deep-strike drone operation against the vast Russian energy sector, a major source of revenue that fuels Moscow's ongoing war efforts. "The SBU continues to work methodically on facilities that provide the Russian army with fuel," the security source said in a translated statement. "The destruction of oil depots directly affects the enemy's ability to conduct combat operations, advance and transfer reserves. Such operations are an element of the systematic weakening of the military potential of the Russian Federation," they added. Anti-drone netting has become increasingly common near the front lines in Ukraine. Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images Neither Russia's defense ministry nor its US embassy responded to a request for comment on the attack. Moscow said its air defenses shot down roughly 300 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours. Since last August, Ukraine has been intensifying its long-range drone attacks on Russia's energy sector, targeting oil refineries, terminals, tankers, and platforms at sea. Kyiv has described the deep-strike campaign as its way of imposing "long-range sanctions" on Moscow. Many of these attacks — at least four in the past week, including the most recent strike — have been carried out by the SBU's Alpha group, an elite unit considered to be among the best of Ukraine's special forces. Its personnel have also been involved in ground operations. Meanwhile, Russia has significantly stepped up its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure this winter compared to previous years of the war. Since October, Ukrainian energy facilities have been the main target of Russian barrages, Britain's defense ministry said on Thursday. Russia has launched more than 20,000 drones, and its aircraft have fired over 300 missiles, "in attempts to systematically destroy Ukraine's electrical grid and heat generation capacity," the ministry said in an intelligence update. Read the original article on Business Insider