The Kremlin has waged a proxy war against Ukraine for nearly four years, which has, so far, killed more than 10,300 Ukrainians. Fighting picked up again along the war front in late December and has continued sporadically since. At least, 40 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed over the last two months, and almost 90 wounded in action, according to the Kyiv Post count based on the information from the military, volunteers and media reports.

International monitors recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the last week, namely near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. As of noon on Feb. 8, Russian-separatist forces had attacked Ukrainian army positions in the Donbas at least 17 times over the previous 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as injured as a result of fighting near Svitlodarsk in Donetsk Oblast.