Tuesday, February 11
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A man cleans up rubble inside a damaged medical institution after a Russian attack with a guided aerial bomb on Feb. 10, 2025 in Kramatorsk. On Feb. 9, 2025, the Russian army dropped a 500-kilogram aerial bomb on a residential area in the old part of the city. The airstrike killed one person and injured twelve. (Yevhenii Vasyliev/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Russia massing troops for new assaults in Chasiv Yar, military warns. “Now there is a period of accumulation and concentration (by Russia)… on the approaches to Chasiv Yar and regrouping in the town itself for further assault operations,” a military spokesperson said.
Trump claims ‘progress’ on ending Russia-Ukraine war, confirms contact with Putin. “If we are talking, I don’t want to tell you about the conversations. I do believe we’re making progress,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Kellogg ‘preparing options’ for ending war in Ukraine to present to Trump, media reports. Keith Kellogg said that the proposals are still being developed, according to Semafor.
Zelensky, Vance expected to meet at Munich Security Conference. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Vice President JD Vance are expected to meet during the Munich Security Conference later this week, CBS News reported on Feb. 9, citing undisclosed sources.
Ukraine to receive Patria 6x6 armored vehicles from Latvia this year. The Patria 6x6 is a six-wheeled armored personnel carrier produced by the Finnish defense industry company Patria.
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Ukraine considering offering high annual salary, free education, interest-free mortgage rates for young volunteer fighters, media reports. The Ukrainian military’s “special contracts” for recruited volunteers aged 18 to 24, who are exempt from mobilization, will reportedly include a number of benefits, including a Hr 1 million ($24,000) annual salary, 0% interest mortgage rates, as well free higher education, Ukrinform reported on Feb. 10.
Trump’s team to visit Ukraine this week, Zelensky says. “There will be some (high-profile) people from President Trump’s team here in Ukraine this week, even before the Munich Security Conference,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Europe mulls large-scale seizures of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ ships, Politico reports. According to Politico, European countries are drafting new legislation that would enable potential seizures of Russian oil tankers on legal grounds.
Drones reportedly target key Russian oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai. The refinery, located roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the front line, is a strategic logistics hub for diesel fuel and aviation kerosene used by Russian troops, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, claimed.
Ukraine approves high-speed Baton drones for battlefield deployment. The Baton drones are designed to meet military requirements for simplicity and reliability in difficult battlefield conditions.
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Ukraine war latest: Russia massing troops for new assaults in Chasiv Yar; Ukraine strikes oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai
Russian forces are gathering troops for fresh assaults in Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Zaporozhets, a spokesperson for the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Feb. 10.
Photo: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images
As US cuts Ukraine funding, EU’s lending arm steps in with nearly 1 billion euros in investments
The European Union’s lending arm, the European Investment Bank (EIB), has signed agreements to mobilize close to 1 billion euros ($1.03 billion) in investments into Ukraine’s public and private sectors as the U.S. moves to cut funding to development projects in the country.
Photo: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
Human cost of war
Russian soldiers wounded in war in Ukraine receive treatment, rehabilitation in North Korea, ambassador says. Treatment for the Russian military in North Korea is provided free of charge in “the best hospitals and sanatoriums.”
Opinions and insights
‘Negotiations are dictated on the battlefield’ — Polish envoy on Russia-Ukraine war
The Kyiv Independent sat down with Poland’s charge d’affaires in Kyiv, Piotr Lukasiewicz, on Jan. 29 to discuss why Poland stands out among Ukraine’s partners, how to approach the most painful chapters of the shared Polish-Ukrainian history, and why it may be too early to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Photo: Wikimedia
The Baltic Sea’s energy infrastructure is under attack. NATO must act
The EU and NATO must act now to secure the Baltic Sea’s critical energy infrastructure from growing Russian threats.
Photo: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
International response
China’s Xi to visit Moscow for Victory Day celebrations, Russian envoy says. Chinese President Xi Jinping also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to China to commemorate Japan’s surrender and the conclusion of World War II, Russian Ambassador to Beijing Igor Morgulov said.
Scholz, Merz agree on continued support for Ukraine ahead of German elections. German Chancellor Olaf Schlolz and his main challenger in the upcoming elections, Friedrich Merz, agreed during a television debate on Feb. 9 that Berlin must continue supporting Ukraine and that Russia’s war must end.
Transnistria rejects EU aid offer under Moscow’s pressure, Moldova’s PM says. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that Tiraspol rejected the EU’s financial assistance allegedly due to conditions attached to the aid package. He attributed the decision to Russian influence.
EU vows retaliatory measures as Trump set to announce 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum. The European Commission criticized the decision as “unlawful and economically counterproductive,” arguing that the deeply integrated supply chains between the EU and the U.S. would suffer under such restrictions.
Romanian President Iohannis announces resignation to avert political crisis. Far-right opposition parties submitted an initiative to the Romanian parliament to impeach the president, as Klaus Iohannis remained in office longer than the prescribed term after the results of the country’s first round of presidential election had been annulled.
Czech authorities investigating allegations of unauthorized drone shipments to Ukraine. According to media outlet Aktualne.cz, members of Skupina D are suspected of supplying drones to Ukraine, possibly with the involvement of Czech military personnel, without authorization from the parliament.
EU to review its foreign aid programs amid US decision to reform USAID. The European Commission will update the provision of foreign aid and make it more “targeted for partners,” Bloomberg reported, citing the draft document.
In other news
Illegal border crossing attempts in Ukraine have nearly halved since last summer, Border Guard says. “If we compare January with July last year, we see a 45% decrease,” State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said.
NABU confirms ‘pre-trial investigation’ of Defense Minister Umerov over potential abuse of power. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) launched an investigation on Jan. 28.
Russian man admits to killing two war-wounded Ukrainian soldiers in Germany. “Now, in a sober state, I deeply regret what happened,” the 58-year-old suspect said at the start of his trial.
Ukraine’s stocks hit pre-war levels on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, Polish media reports. WIG Ukraine, Ukrainian companies’ stock price index on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE), rose by almost 25% in a few days, reaching pre-war levels, Polish media outlet Puls Biznesu reported.
US foreign aid freeze threatens Russian war crimes investigations in Ukraine, Reuters reports. Funding for at least five of these projects has already been frozen, five sources told Reuters, citing payment disruptions. Those affected were working on issues ranging from preserving evidence from the battlefield to anti-corruption initiatives and reforming Ukraine’s prosecution system.
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