We are now closing this liveblog. Thank you for being with us today!
Zelensky hosts French defence minister in Kyiv
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted France’s Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin in Kyiv earlier today. It was the minister’s first visit to Ukraine since taking office.
In a post on Twitter, Zelensky said the two discussed Ukraine’s need for more military assistance, to bolster its air defence with systems and missiles, and to expand its aviation capabilities with French Mirage and Rafale aircraft.
“It is crucial to maintain the resilience of Ukraine’s air defence amid Russia’s massive attacks on our energy infrastructure,” he wrote.
In pictures: Soup kitchens help Kyiv residents amid Russian onslaught
Photo: Sergei Grits for AP in Kyiv on February 7, 2026
Ukrainian says it hit oil depot in Russia’s Saratov region
Ukrainian troops struck an oil depot known as “Balashovo” in Russia’s Saratov region, the Ukrainian general staff said.
Several drone control centres in territories occupied by Russia were also hit, it said in a statement on the Telegram app.
‘There is no heat, no electricity: Russian strikes batter Ukraine’s power grid
FRANCE 24 correspondent Emmanuelle Chaze reports from the city in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, where hundreds of residential buildings remain without power amid subzero temperatures.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian plant that makes missile fuel, SBU says
Ukrainian drones struck a plant that allegedly makes missile fuel components in the Tver region of western Russia, an official from Ukraine’s SBU security service said.
The official said that components for missile fuel for Russia’s X-55 and X-101 cruise missiles and other elements for diesel and aviation fuel were produced there. The drone strike caused a large fire at the plant, the official said.
“Even a temporary shutdown complicates the production of rocket fuel and reduces the enemy’s ability to maintain the intensity of shelling of our cities,” the official said.
Ukraine cuts nuclear power output due to military activity, IAEA says
Ukrainian nuclear power plants reduced output as renewed military activity affected electrical substations and disconnected some power lines, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in an X post.
Ukraine’s power grid came under a renewed assault by Russia overnight, causing widespread power outages.
Two suspects in attempted killing of Russian general ‘will soon be interrogated’, local media reports
Two suspects in the attempted assassination of top Russian military intelligence general Vladimir Alekseyev “will soon be interrogated,” the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on Saturday, citing a source close to the investigation.
After interrogation, the suspects will be charged, the newspaper reported.
Russia has not officially reported the detention of the suspects.
Russia continues to hammer Ukraine’s energy grid
A “massive attack” by Russian forces on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has caused power outages across the country, the state grid operator said on Saturday.
Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of deliberately targeting energy infrastructure, causing outages that have left hundreds of thousands of people without lighting or heating in temperatures well below zero.
Read more about the overnight attack by clicking on the link below.
US should not make deals on Ukraine without Ukraine, Zelensky says
Ukraine will not accept the United States making deals with Russia about Ukrainian sovereignty unless Kyiv is also involved, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“Ukraine will not support even such possible agreements between the parties about us without us,” Zelensky said in remarks embargoed until early Saturday.
US wants Ukraine and Russia to end war by June deadline, Zelensky says
The US has given Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters.
If the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration will likely put pressure on both sides to meet it, he added.
“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” Zelensky said, speaking to reporters on Friday. Zelenskyy’s comments were embargoed until Saturday morning.
“And they say that they want to do everything by June. And they will do everything to end the war. And they want a clear schedule of all events,” he said.
Europa Monitor is a seasoned News Editor with over a decade of experience in journalism. Known for his editorial expertise and commitment to accuracy, Europa Monitor leads teams to deliver high-quality news content.
