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Morning Headlines
The Kyiv Independent: Russia targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles in an overnight attack on Feb. 12.
AP News: Leaders from across the European Union are meeting Thursday in a Belgian castle as the 27-nation bloc faces antagonism from Trump, strong-arm economic tactics from China and hybrid threats from Russia — challenges that have prompted a rethink of Europe’s approach to diplomacy and trade.
Reuters: Tens of thousands of cars are being exported from China to Russia under gray-market schemes that often circumvent Western and Asian government sanctions and automakers' commitments to exit the Russian market.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian drones struck a Russian military plant in Michurinsk, Tambov Oblast, and a Defense Ministry site in Kotluban, Volgograd Oblast, overnight on Feb. 11-12, independent media and local authorities reported.
BBC: Russia has "attempted to fully block" WhatsApp in the country, the company said, as the Kremlin continues to tighten restrictions on messaging apps.
The Kyiv Independent: Oleh Handei, a Ukrainian short track speed skater, said on Feb. 11 that he will not be allowed to wear his custom helmet at the Olympic Games in Milan because it is inscribed with a line of Ukrainian poetry.
More News
Reuters: Russian strikes killed four civilians on Wednesday in different localities in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha said.
The Kyiv Independent: U.S. military aid to Ukraine fell by 99% in 2025, leaving European countries to fill the gap as Kyiv nears the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy reported on Feb. 11.
Reuters: The International Olympic Committee pleaded on Wednesday with skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych to compete without his banned helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed since Russia's invasion and avoid potential disqualification. The athlete, however, remained defiant after a meeting between the two sides on Wednesday afternoon failed to break the impasse.
The Kyiv Independent: Holders of Ukrainian phone numbers received an SBU message on Feb. 11 warning that Russians are trying to recruit Ukrainians to register Starlink terminals for use by Russian troops and that doing so is a criminal offense in Ukraine.
Bloomberg: A growing number of Russian companies are lining up for state aid and tax relief, just as the Kremlin is wrestling with a widening budget deficit from its war in Ukraine (archive).
The Insider: The Russian government will halt its Aurus project, which was launched in 2013 as part of an effort to create a unified modular platform for the country’s automotive industry. As Interfax reported on Feb. 11, Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said in the State Duma that there is no money for the initiative.
The Kyiv Independent: President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 11 that Ukraine has accepted the U.S. invitation to hold a new round of peace talks next week.
Reuters: Europe's largest nuclear power plant, seized by Russian forces in the early days of their invasion of Ukraine, can be restarted safely only if it is returned to Ukrainian control, the head of Ukraine's nuclear power operator said on Tuesday.
Politico: Defence minister John Healey said on Wednesday Britain had committed 150 million pounds ($205 million) to the so-called Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative to supply Ukraine with U.S. weapons.
The Kyiv Independent: Russia may have lost about twice as many soldiers in Ukraine in December 2025 as the Soviet Union lost during the Soviet-Afghan War, a former British intelligence chief said on Feb. 10.
The Moscow Times: Ukrainian forces have made gains in the southern Zaporizhzhia region after Russian units lost access to Starlink, a senior NATO official said.
Reuters: Russia plans to fly its tourists out of Cuba in the coming days and then suspend all flights until a jet fuel shortage eases, aviation regulator Rosaviatsia said on Wednesday.
European Parliament: MEPs voted in favour of three pieces of legislation to make a €90 billion EU loan available for Ukraine as it faces Russia’s continued war of aggression.
Reuters: A Czech initiative sourcing ammunition for Ukraine aims to secure shells worth five billion euros globally but has only managed to raise 1.4 billion euros so far, a senior NATO military official said on Wednesday.
The Kyiv Independent: As of now, President Volodymyr Zelensky does not plan to announce presidential elections or a referendum on a possible peace deal with Russia on Feb. 24, a source in the President's Office familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 11.
Reuters: Russia's largest liquefied natural gas producer Novatek said on Wednesday its 2025 net profit fell by more than 60% to 183 billion roubles ($2.37 billion).
worth mentioning
TotalEnergies seeks clarity on EU ban on Russian LNG, says CEO
Poland and Italy say they will not join Trump's Board of Peace
New weapon in the shadows: how the Kremlin uses video games for war propaganda
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