Today’s Daily Brief covers refinery strikes, record drone losses, air defense strain, and a front line that may be shifting in the gray zone. Russian sources previously claimed control of key terrain. Now they describe activity there as a “counter operation.” We’ll examine whether this is: • A genuine counterattack • A gray zone clearing fight • Or a small but real Ukrainian breakthrough Let’s walk the map and separate narrative from reality. Chapters 0:00 Introduction and Overview 0:44 Ukrainian Drone Strike on Volgograd Refinery 1:40 Russian Drone Attacks on Ukraine 2:30 Intercepting Ballistic Missiles: Ukraine's Air Defense 3:30 Russia's Missile Production and Sanction Evasion 4:10 Emerging Technologies: Lasers and Interceptor Drones 4:35 Impact of Drone Attacks on Ukrainian Infrastructure 5:10 Training Challenges for Air Defense Personnel 5:50 Reorganizing Ukraine's Air Defense Strategy 6:25 Testing Russia's New AI-Powered Strike Drone 6:55 Hardening the Power Grid: Underground Substations 7:30 Daily Battlefield Losses: Equipment and Personnel 7:50 Record Drone Losses in February 2026 9:10 Counteroffensive or Clearing Operation? Analyzing the Front Line 11:50 Strategic Communications: Russia's Response to Ukrainian Gains 12:15 Deep Dive: Front Line Mapping and the "Gray Zone" 13:40 Tactical Realities: The Impact of Starlink Disruptions 14:30 New Mobilization Decree: Service for Men Over 60 15:10 International Support: Generators from Azerbaijan 15:30 Patron Shoutout and Final Thoughts 16:05 Closing Note: "Red Tuesday" and Relationship Statistics #Ukraine #Russia #UkraineWar #Counteroffensive #DroneWar Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. ***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: ***** Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership 🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ *****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: ***** 🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address) https://a.co/iodWsUK Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/... Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html 🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20 🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/ ***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE *** 🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes 🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow. 🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE 🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine. 🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected] #UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR