The Russian armed forces continue to wage a cognitive impact campaign through limited cross-border operations in northern Ukraine, aimed at creating the impression in the West that Ukrainian front lines are collapsing. On February 8, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its units had taken control of the village of Sidorovka, located northwest of the city of Sumy, in close proximity to the international border, News.bg reports.
This information was disseminated by the “Institute for the Study of War“ (ISW), which emphasizes that it currently has no evidence confirming the Russian Ministry's claim. Sidorovka is located east of Komarovka, an area that was not an active frontline sector for a long time until Russian forces launched cross-border attacks there in December 2025.
According to ISW analysis, in late December the Kremlin used similar operations in the northern parts of Sumy and Kharkiv regions in order to influence the then ongoing negotiations to end the war. The capture of Khrabovskoe, as well as claims of control over Komarovka, Bila Bereza, and Popivka, along with the advance towards Sotnitsky Kozachok, are likely part of this strategy.
However, Russian forces have not conducted a large-scale and sustained campaign of airstrikes across the battlefield that would weaken Ukrainian logistics and prepare the conditions for ground offensives in the northern border areas - an approach previously used in the Pokrovsk and Gulyaipole directions.
ISW continues to assess that Moscow is seeking to portray these limited actions as the beginning of a new, major offensive. The aim is to reinforce the Kremlin’s main narrative of an inevitable Russian victory and thus force Ukraine and its Western partners to accept Russian terms for fear of future escalation.
In parallel, Russian military bloggers have reported serious difficulties in the communication of Russian units after the blocking of unregistered Starlink terminals by SpaceX in Ukraine. On February 8, one of them stated that units in various, unspecified sectors of the front are experiencing communication problems and are relying on donations of radio and satellite equipment.
Another blogger notes that some Russian commanders have long realized the risks of dependence on Starlink and have built alternative communication channels. However, the blocking continues to have a negative impact, as Russia does not yet have a full-fledged replacement for the system. According to him, communication is mainly carried out “on the ground”, which limits the effectiveness of operations.
Russian military bloggers have increasingly complained about problems with ground operations and tactical strikes since SpaceX, in coordination with Ukrainian authorities, suspended Russian forces' access to Starlink on February 5. ISW previously estimated that without bypassing the blockages or implementing new technological solutions, Russia will face serious difficulties in maintaining its air campaign at the current level of intensity in the short term.