Ukraine War Updates: US Sets June Deadline for Peace, Russia Accuses Kyiv of General’s Shooting
The conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate, marked by ongoing attacks, accusations of assassination, and a renewed push for peace negotiations with a deadline imposed by the United States. As of Sunday, February 8, 2026, developments include a suspected assassination attempt on a senior Russian military intelligence officer, intensified Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and a US-backed timeline for a potential peace agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the United States is seeking a resolution to the war by June. “The Americans want to do everything by June,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Saturday, according to reports. This timeline reportedly comes as the US seeks to finalize a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, despite limited progress on territorial concessions. Zelenskyy also hinted at a possible connection between the deadline and the upcoming US midterm elections, though details remain scarce.
Amidst diplomatic efforts, the battlefield remains active. Russia launched over 400 drones and approximately 40 missiles on Saturday, targeting Ukraine’s energy sector. These strikes focused on the power grid, generation facilities, and distribution substations, exacerbating an already dire energy situation for Ukrainian civilians. Zelenskyy stated that the attacks are part of a broader Russian strategy to inflict suffering on the Ukrainian population and force concessions.
Further complicating the situation, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused Ukraine of orchestrating an assassination attempt on Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a high-ranking officer in Russian military intelligence. A suspect, identified as Lyubomir Korba, a Russian citizen, was detained in Dubai and extradited to Russia, according to the FSB. Television footage showed masked FSB officers escorting a blindfolded man from a jet in Russia. Russian officials allege that Ukrainian intelligence services aided in the attack, a claim Ukraine has denied. Alekseyev is currently recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery, having been shot several times outside an apartment building in Moscow.
Zelenskyy has responded to the ongoing attacks by announcing sanctions against foreign manufacturers of components used in Russian drones and missiles. “Producing this weaponry would be impossible without critical foreign components, which the Russians continue to obtain by circumventing sanctions,” he stated on X. This move signals a Ukrainian effort to disrupt Russia’s military supply chain and limit its ability to wage war.
On the ground, a Russian airstrike on the residential city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on Sunday resulted in one death and two injuries. The attack caused a fire in a nine-story apartment building, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. Russia struck energy infrastructure in the Poltava region overnight into Sunday, as reported by Ukraine’s state-owned gas company Naftogaz.
Kyiv’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, emphasized the need for direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian leaders to resolve the most challenging issues in peace negotiations. He suggested that only the US president possesses the influence necessary to broker an agreement. Sybiha indicated that only “a few” items remain outstanding from the 20-point peace plan currently under discussion, characterizing these as sensitive and requiring a leaders-level resolution.
Zelenskyy also stated that Ukrainian forces have killed 55,000 Russian soldiers since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022, adding that a “large number” are missing. This figure is higher than previous estimates provided by Zelenskyy, who cited 46,000 deaths in February 2025 and 31,000 in February 2024. Independent estimates from organizations like the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) suggest the actual number of Russian casualties could range between 100,000 and 140,000.
In a separate statement, Zelenskyy justified Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that such facilities fund the production of weapons used against Ukraine. “We do not have to choose – whether we strike a military target or energy … it’s the same thing,” he said on X. “We either build weapons and strike their weapons. Or we strike the source where their money is generated and multiplied. And that source is their energy sector … All of this is a legitimate target for us.”
