🔄 Release Tracking: v1.8.12

## 🚀 Release Cycle: v1.8.12

**Branch:** `master`
**Run:** https://github.com/Azure/azure-container-networking/actions/runs/31188457141

### Tags to be created:
• `v1.8.12` (CNI/CNS/NPM)
• `dropgz/v0.2.1`
• `azure-ipam/v0.4.2`
• `azure-iptables-monitor/v0.0.6`
• `azure-ip-masq-merger/v0.0.2`
• `cilium-log-collector/v0.0.3`
### ⏳ Pending PRs — Dependabot (9) + Go Upgrade (5):

- [ ] #4399 — deps: bump go.uber.org/zap from 1.27.1 to 1.28.0 in /zapai in the all-go-minor-and-patch group across 1 directory
- [ ] #4400 — deps: bump go.uber.org/zap from 1.27.1 to 1.28.0 in /dropgz in the all-go-minor-and-patch group across 1 directory
- [ ] #4457 — ci: bump github/codeql-action from 4.36.0 to 4.36.2
- [ ] #4496 — ci: bump actions/stale from db5d06a4c82d5e94513c09c406638111df61f63e to 9461cb10066d1553762bac6a02599ab8c26b14dd
- [ ] #4589 — ci: fix go-version-check stale branch push rejection
- [ ] #4616 — deps: bump github.com/Azure/azure-container-networking from 1.8.9 to 1.8.11 in /azure-ipam in the all-go-minor-and-patch group across 1 directory
- [ ] #4617 — deps: bump the kubernetes-minor-and-patch group across 1 directory with 2 updates
- [ ] #4634 — deps: bump github.com/prometheus/client_golang from 1.24.0 to 1.24.1 in the all-go-minor-and-patch group
- [ ] #4639 — fix: unblock Windows unit-test job (Go 1.26 vet + swiftv2 options)
- [ ] #4659 — ci: bump the all-docker-dependencies group across 29 directories with 21 updates
- [ ] #4661 — ci: bump the all-github-actions group across 1 directory with 3 updates

---
### Skip Instructions

To skip a specific PR, comment on this issue:
```
skip #
```

To skip ALL remaining dependency PRs (dependabot + Go upgrade):
```
skip all
```

### Pause for a non-dependabot PR

To hold the release until a specific PR merges (any PR, not just dependabot):
```
pause #
```

To remove the hold:
```
unpause #
```

### Pause the release entirely

To freeze the release (e.g. waiting for an unrelated fix, discussion, etc.):
```
pause
```

To unfreeze and let it continue:
```
resume
```

---
_This issue is managed by the Scheduled Release workflow. It will close automatically when the release completes._

Start with the Scheduled Release workflow and the linked GitHub Actions run for v1.8.12, then review the listed pending dependency and Go upgrade PRs. Done means the required tags are created, remaining PRs are merged or skipped according to the documented commands, and the release completes so the issue closes automatically.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.