RU forces have had diminished strikes at the same tempo and depth

Russian forces conducted a series of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of February 13 to 14. 

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile from Kursk Oblast and 112 Shahed-, Gerbera-, Italmas-type, and other drones – of which about 70 were Shaheds – from the directions of Kursk, Oryol, and Bryansk cities; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; occupied Donetsk City; and occupied Hvardiiske, Crimea.[82] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 91 drones, that 18 drones hit 11 locations, and that drone debris fell at two locations. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces struck energy, residential, and administrative infrastructure in Chernihiv, Zaporizhia, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.[83] Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command reported that Russian forces launched two Kh-31 cruise missiles against Odesa Oblast during the day on February 14 but that the missiles did not reach their targets.[84]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on February 14 that Russian forces launched roughly 6,000 drones, most of which were Shahed drones; more than 150 missiles; and more than 5,000 guided glide bombs against Ukraine in January 2026.[85] Zelensky stated that Russian strikes have damaged every power plant in Ukraine. Zelensky reported that Ukrainian forces often shoot down about 90 percent of the Shahed drones that Russian forces launch almost every night but that Russian forces are constantly adapting their Shaheds, including innovations to allow the drones to fly at different altitudes, to operate with Starlink terminals, to act as “motherships” carrying first-person view (FPV) drones, and to be controllable in real time, complicating Ukrainian air defense efforts.[86]

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Ukraine’s and SpaceX’s efforts to shut off Russian forces’ access to Starlink terminals in Ukraine are reportedly disrupting Russian Rubikon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies’ short- and mid-range drone strikes in the immediate term, as ISW recently forecasted. The commander of a Ukrainian unmanned systems brigade told BBC Ukrainian Service that Russian forces will likely spend about six months trying to find an alternative to Starlink.[14] The commander noted that Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), unlike the Russian Rubikon Center, cannot focus exclusively on strikes against Russian logistics and the Russian operational rear, as the Ukrainian USF must also spend time and resources helping Ukrainian infantry hold the frontline and repel Russian infantry attacks.[15] Russian forces, particularly from the Rubikon Center, were using Starlink terminals to extend the ranges of their drones in order to strike further into the Ukrainian rear to generate effects of battlefield air interdiction (BAI).[16] Rubikon often publishes footage on its Telegram channel highlighting strikes against specific frontline or rear settlements, but has not offered this level of geographic detail about any of the strikes since February 4 — just days after SpaceX blocked unregistered Starlink terminals in Ukraine.[17] Rubikon has continued to post about its strikes across the frontline since February 4 but has not provided specific locational details, suggesting that SpaceX’s decision to restrict Russian forces’ access to Starlink on February 1 has been negatively impacting Rubikon’s strike campaign.[18] ISW assessed on February 5 that Ukraine’s efforts to shut down Russian forces’ access to Starlink terminals would likely impact Russian BAI efforts, preventing Russian forces from conducting these strikes at the same tempo and depth as in prior weeks.[19]

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• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s willingness to compromise ahead of trilateral US-Ukrainian-Russian talks in Geneva, Switzerland on February 17 to 18.
• Russian officials continue to insist that the issues and terms impeding a peace agreement go beyond Russia’s territorial demands.
• Russian forces continue to suffer disproportionately high casualties in return for marginal territorial gains.
• Ukraine’s and SpaceX’s efforts to shut off Russian forces’ access to Starlink terminals in Ukraine are reportedly disrupting Russian Rubikon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies’ short- and mid-range drone strikes in the immediate term, as ISW recently forecasted.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Oleksandrivka direction. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Kharkiv Oblast, in the Borova and Slovyansk directions, and in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.

Russian forces continue to suffer disproportionately high casualties in return for marginal territorial gains. NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte stated on February 13 that Russian forces are advancing at the “stilted speed of a garden snail,” yet suffered 35,000 deaths in December 2025 and 30,000 deaths in January 2026.[9] Rutte’s numbers largely cohere with data from the Ukrainian General Staff, which maintains that Russian forces suffered about 35,100 casualties in December and 31,680 casualties in January. ISW continues to assess that the Russian rate of advance, even at its relatively quicker tempo in late 2025, has been constrained to a footpace and comes at disproportionately high infantry casualty costs.[10] ISW has observed open-source evidence to assess that Russian forces advanced in or infiltrated through an estimated 462 square kilometers in December 2025 and roughly 364 square kilometers in January 2026 – suggesting that Russian forces suffered roughly 76 casualties per square kilometer seized or infiltrated through in December 2025 and 87 casualties per square kilometer seized or infiltrated through in January 2026. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview published on February 13 that Russian forces have recently suffered 170 casualties for every kilometer of territory gained.[11] ISW’s calculations are based only on evidence observable in the open source, and it is unclear if Zelensky is referring only to territory that Russian forces control or is also including areas in which Russian forces have infiltrated but do not control. True Russian losses are very likely higher than what is confirmable from open sources. Russian forces have long suffered such a disproportionately high casualty rate, having suffered an average of 83 casualties per square kilometer gained in all of 2025.[12] The Russian rate of advance slowed in late December 2025 and January 2026, but Russian losses did not significantly decrease, showing how these slowing advances have come at an even greater cost.[13]

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**General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine**
*Operational information as of 22:00 on 14.02.2026 regarding the Russian invasion*

The defense forces are focusing their efforts on disrupting the Russian invaders’ plans for an offensive and exhausting their combat potential.
Since the beginning of the day, there have been 191 combat clashes.
The enemy carried out 38 air strikes and dropped 129 guided bombs. In addition, it used 3,068 kamikaze drones and carried out 2,160 shellings of populated areas and positions of our troops.

• – In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, there were seven combat clashes with the enemy, who carried out 135 shellings of populated areas and positions of our units, including four with multiple launch rocket systems.
• – In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, the enemy stormed the positions of our units in the areas of the settlements of Starytsia, Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, Rybaltchyne, and in the direction of Grafskyi, Okhrimivka, and Kolodiazne. Ukrainian units repelled ten attacks, and another combat engagement is currently ongoing.
• – Ukrainian defenders repelled four attacks in the Kupiansk direction, in the areas of the settlements of Pishchane, Borivska Andriivka, and in the direction of Petropavlivka and Hlushevka. Three more combat engagements are ongoing.
• – Ukrainian soldiers stopped nine attacks in the Lyman direction, in the area of Hrekivka and towards Stavky, Drobysheve, and Lyman.
• – In the Sloviansk direction, our defenders repelled seven attempts by the occupiers to advance towards Platonivka, Rai-Oleksandrivka, and in the areas of Dronivka, Yampil, and Zakytne. Two combat engagements are ongoing.
• – In the Kramatorsk direction, the Russians tried three times to advance on the positions of our troops, towards Novodmytrivka and in the Predtechino area.
• – In the Kostyantynivka direction, the occupiers stormed the positions of our defenders 13 times today near Pleshchiivka, Sofiivka, Shcherbinivka, and towards Illinivka and Kostyantynivka.
• – In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy carried out 55 attacks. The occupiers tried to advance in the areas of the settlements of Zatyshok, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novoserhiivka, Molodetske, Novomykolaivka, Dachne, and towards the settlements of Vilne, Bilytske, Nove Shakhov, Shevchenko, Novooleksandrivka, Serhiivka, and Ivanivka. Fighting is still ongoing in some locations.

According to preliminary estimates, today our soldiers eliminated 85 occupiers and wounded 23 in this direction; destroyed 40 unmanned aerial vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and one piece of special equipment; and also hit two motor vehicles and 21 enemy personnel shelters.

• – In the Oleksandrivka direction, Ukrainian units stopped four attacks by the occupiers in the areas of Vyshneve and Zlagoda.
• – In the Huliaipole direction, there were 19 attacks by the occupiers – in the areas of Huliaipole, Rybne, and towards Zelenoye, Dobropillya, Zaliznychne, and Pryluky. Enemy air strikes were carried out on Verkhnia Tersa, Hirke, Vozdvyzhivka, Voskresenka, Samiilivka, and Lisne.
• – In the Orikhiv direction, the enemy twice attacked the positions of our defenders in the Primorsky area. The areas of the settlements of Orikhiv, Veselyanka, and Yuliivka were subjected to air strikes with guided bombs.
• – In the Dnipro direction, the Defense Forces repelled one enemy attack.

Let’s defeat the enemy and bring our victory closer!
Glory to Ukraine!