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Russia Launched Record Drone and Missile Attacks on Ukraine in February 2026
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Russia launched 288 missiles at Ukraine in February 2026, marking the highest monthly total since the beginning of 2023, according to AFP analysis based on daily reports from the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on March 1.
The number of missile strikes more than doubled compared to January, when 135 missiles were recorded. This figure also surpassed the previous record of 270 missiles set in October 2025.
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In addition to the missiles, Russia deployed 5,059 long-range drones against Ukraine last month. This represents a 13% increase over the drone activity seen in January. The past winter was the most difficult for Ukraine since the start of the war. Continuous Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure caused widespread power and heating outages.
These attacks left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without essential services. Kyiv and European Union nations state that Russia is intentionally destroying the country's energy system for the fourth year in a row to impact the civilian population.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy summarized the winter period by stating that over three months, Russia used “more than 14.6 thousand guided aerial bombs, 738 missiles, and almost 19 thousand strike drones,” mostly Iranian-made Shaheds. Rolling blackouts are currently taking place across the country to manage the electricity shortage in the power grids.
In 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for senior Russian military officials. The court accused them of war crimes related to strikes on energy facilities that cause excessive harm to the civilian population of Ukraine.
In response to the actions of the Russian military, Ukrainian forces regularly carry out drone strikes against Russian oil depots and refineries.
Earlier, Ukraine finished a tough winter season after facing more than 34,000 Russian strikes. Russia used about 19,000 drones, 14,000 guided bombs, and over 700 missiles in just 90 days.
Many of these weapons were Iranian-made drones, similar to those used in the Middle East. Despite the heavy attacks, Ukraine managed to keep its electricity and heat working thanks to local courage and help from Western partners.
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