Ukraine is trying to gain a strong negotiating position before talks begin.

Six months after the Kursk operation was launched on February 6, Ukrainian soldiers began new assaults in the Kursk region, advancing around five kilometers from the city of Sudzha in a day and taking control of the settlements of Kolmakov and Fanaseyevka, the ISW reported. At the same time, soldiers from North Korea resumed combat against the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region.

However, Ukraine continues to pressure the enemy with attacks on military and fuel facilities. On February 8, Ukraine struck an oil transfer station in Chortkovo, Rostov region, and an oil transfer station in the Volgograd region. Drones also attacked Rostov-on-Don, where several critical military facilities are located. Moreover, the headquarters of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation, which coordinates military operations in southern Ukraine, is located there.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Ukrainian drone strikes have severely damaged 46% of Russia’s oil refineries. Kremniy El, a missile system and UAV microelectronics manufacturer, has suspended its operations.