NUCLEAR BRINKMANSHIP AND PEACE ULTIMATUMS
Russia threatens NATO peacekeepers while U.S. weighs Iran strikes as arms control collapses and Ukraine referendum looms February 2-9, 2026
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Russia Unleashes 408 Drones and 39 Missiles on Ukraine’s Energy Grid
Between February 6 and 7, Russia executed a massive assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, deploying 408 drones and 39 missiles targeting substations essential for nuclear power plant operations. Ukrainian Air Force reported Russian forces utilized 21 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 16 Kalibr cruise missiles, and approximately 250 Shahed drones in the overnight operation. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 382 drones and 24 missiles, but 13 missiles and 21 drones struck 19 different sites, affecting energy facilities in Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, and Lviv Oblast. The strikes targeted critical 750 kV and 330 kV substations, the Burshtyn thermal power plant in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, and the Dobrotvir thermal power plant in Lviv Oblast, resulting in emergency power outages affecting approximately 600,000 residents. The attacks occurred during some of the coldest winter temperatures, with Russia leveraging a temporary halt in energy strikes to accumulate drones and missiles for two devastating assaults following a brief pause from January 29 to February 1.
