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What Russian strikes did in Ukraine, 3–5 February 2026
Summary
A look back at the days around 5 February 2026, when strikes hit energy infrastructure, Zaporizhzhia and a market in Druzhkivka.
What was the picture across Ukraine on 5 February 2026? It followed two days in which Russian forces struck cities and towns across the country, with civilians among the dead.
On 3 February, after a brief moratorium on strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Russian forces launched drones and cruise missiles, including Zircon missiles, across Ukraine. Kyiv and Kharkiv were among the targets, alongside other regions.
The same day, a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia killed two civilians and wounded eight others. The city has been hit repeatedly since the Russian invasion of 2022, and civilian infrastructure and housing there have been heavily damaged.
Druzhkivka market
On 4 February, Russian forces struck a market in Druzhkivka, in Donetsk Oblast, with cluster munitions. At least seven civilians were killed and 15 others injured.
Kharkiv and the wider pattern
Kharkiv has faced numerous Russian rocket attacks since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, and the strikes of 3 February added to that toll. Zaporizhzhia has been under similar pressure; a regional military administration report dated 24 February 2026 later put the number of residents of Zaporizhzhia Oblast killed at 812, including 45 children, with more than 3,400 injured.
By 5 February 2026, the resumption of strikes on energy infrastructure, the Zaporizhzhia drone attack and the Druzhkivka market strike showed the war's pressure on both the power system and civilian life.
