Wednesday, February 12
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Local teenagers slide across the ice of a frozen fountain on Feb. 11, 2025 in Mykolaivka, Donetsk Oblast. The town is frequently bombed by Russian forces and is nearly deserted by its inhabitants. (Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
‘Ukraine may be Russian someday,’ Trump suggests while announcing $500 billion rare earth ‘agreement.’ “They (Ukraine) may make a deal. They may not make a deal… But we’re going to have all this money in (Ukraine) and I say, I want it back,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.
US won’t send troops to Ukraine, Pentagon chief says. The U.S. plans to review the deployment of its troops around the world but is not going to send them to Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a press conference on Feb. 11.
Trump envoy who negotiated prisoner release secretly assigned to help end Ukraine war, NYT reports. Trump directed billionaire Steve Witkoff, his close friend and special envoy to the Middle East, to play a role in the Russia-Ukraine peace process, multiple sources told the New York Times.
Ukraine strikes Russia’s Saratov oil refinery, military confirms. “The refinery mainly produces gasoline, fuel oil, and diesel fuel. In total, more than 20 types of oil products (are being produced there),” the General Staff said.
Ukrainian drones destroy Russian Smerch-2 rocket launcher in Donetsk Oblast. Soldiers of the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, part of the Steel Lions unit, shared footage on Feb. 11 showing a rare Russian Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launcher being destroyed by drones in the Lyman sector of the front line in Donetsk Oblast.
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US Treasury Secretary to visit Ukraine, meet Zelensky. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will visit Ukraine this week to discuss a potential deal between Kyiv and Washington on critical minerals, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 11, citing undisclosed sources.
US to consult allies on Ukraine peace plan, seeks Europe’s arms purchases for Kyiv, media report. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, reportedly assured European diplomats that NATO allies would be consulted before finalizing any proposal.
Defense Ministry building testing ground for new AI-powered demining tech. The project aims to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian demining, test innovations, and share experiences between Ukrainian and international partners, the Defense Ministry’s statement read.
Russian strike damages Naftogaz facilities in Poltava Oblast. The attack, which included strikes on gas infrastructure overnight and continued into the morning, has further strained Ukraine’s energy grid.
Russia concerned with weakening sway over allies amid Western pressure, FT reports. Russian officials are concerned that the Western sanctions are undermining Russia’s economic influence over countries in its close neighborhood and the Global South, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 10, citing a leaked government report.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: ‘We’ll swap one territory for another’ — Zelensky on potential peace talks with Russia
“We will swap one territory for another,” Zelensky told The Guardian, without specifying which Russian-occupied land Ukraine would seek in return for a withdrawal from Kursk Oblast.
Photo: Andreas Arnold/picture alliance via Getty Images
Ukraine’s army is reforming its structure. Will it help the fight against Russia?
As Ukraine nears the fourth year of full-scale war with Russia, it is launching a major army reform aimed at improving its efficiency and organization on the battlefield.
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
Europe to take helm in Ramstein, as US vacates its leading role
The U.K. is set to gather the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Feb. 12, taking over the role the U.S. had assumed at the start of the all-out war. With U.S. President Donald Trump pulling his country out of established international agreements and formats, it’s now up to European countries to fill in the gaps.
Photo: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Human cost of war
6 injured in Russian airstrike on Kharkiv Oblast village, including child. A 12-year-old boy was among the injured. Three of the victims have been hospitalized, while the others were provided medical assistance on the spot, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
3 killed, 17 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over previous day. Overnight, Russia launched 124 Shahed-type combat and decoy drones, according to the Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses successfully shot down 57 drones across 11 oblasts, while 64 others were lost without causing damage.
General Staff: Russia has lost 851,880 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,390 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Opinions and insights
A slipping CPI score signals Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts are stagnating
“Ukraine’s 2024 CPI score should serve as a wake-up call to the authorities, signaling that factors within the country are impeding progress in the fight against corruption. Overcoming these obstacles requires more than isolated declarative changes,” writes Andrii Borovyk, executive director of Transparency International Ukraine.
Photo: Andreas Arnold/picture alliance via Getty Images
Ukraine can help dismantle Russia’s influence in the Middle East
“Ukrainians have already taken initial steps to build diplomatic relations with Syria, and a strengthened Ukrainian presence there could limit Russia’s options beyond its military bases, should it manage to retain them,” Anna Borshchevskaya, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East policy, writes.
Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images
With cuts looming, it’s time to reform Ukraine’s humanitarian aid system
“Key players in humanitarian aid have missed a crucial chance to reform a broken, top-heavy system. This failure is especially concerning as Ukraine faces potential cuts to international aid in the coming months and years,” Yuliia Matviichuk, Ewa Wieliczko, and Nicholas Noe write.
Photo: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg via Getty Images
International response
North Korea has sent 200 long-range artillery guns to Russia, Seoul says. Seoul further warned that Pyongyang is likely preparing to send additional troops and arms to back Russia’s war in Ukraine, confirming earlier warnings by the Ukrainian intelligence.
US envoy in Moscow holds talks with Russian deputy FM. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the meeting focused on “the activities of foreign agencies.” The last reported meeting of this kind was in December 2022.
Trump signs 25% tariff on steel, aluminum imports; Ukraine’s economy to feel the effect. First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that the decision to impose tariffs will naturally affect Ukraine’s steel industry.
US, UK, Australia sanction Russian cyber firm Zservers over ransomware attacks. Zservers, a bulletproof hosting (BPH) services provider, supported the Russian cybercrime group LockBit in perpetrating mass ransomware attacks, the U.S. Treasury Department said.
Chinese refiners offered discounted Russian oil as US sanctions deter buyers, Bloomberg reports. Chinese refiners are being offered Russian ESPO crude at discounted prices as rising concerns over U.S. sanctions create logistical and administrative challenges, deterring buyers, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 11.
Ukraine secures $58 million grant from Japan for reconstruction. The funds will be provided through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Hungarian deputy FM arrives in Ukraine, demands explanation for ‘slander campaign.’ Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar criticized Ukrainian officials for a so-called “slanderous campaign” against Hungary in a visit to Kyiv on Feb. 11.
Russia releases imprisoned American teacher in ‘exchange’ deal. U.S. history teacher Marc Fogel was released on Feb. 11 in an “exchange,” the White House said. The details of the deal with Russia have not been disclosed.
In other news
Russia records worst-ever ranking in key corruption index. Transparency International highlighted that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further entrenched authoritarianism, with the Kremlin suppressing dissent, redirecting resources to its military agenda, and eliminating independent voices.
Parliament approves controversial purchase of Russian nuclear reactors from Bulgaria. Ukraine’s parliament voted in favor of buying two Russian-made reactors from Bulgaria for the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Feb. 11.
US-based CourtAvenue acquires Ukrainian AI firm BotsCrew. CourtAvenue, an American artificial intelligence solutions company ranked among the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., has acquired a controlling stake in BotsCrew, a Ukrainian company that develops chatbots for business, BotsCrew announced in a press release on Feb. 11.
London-based digital bank Revolut officially launches in Ukraine. British fintech company Revolut officially launched its services in Ukraine after a beta testing phase, introducing a special Clear Sky debit card in Ukraine’s national blue and yellow colors, the company announced on its website on Feb.11.
Foreign Ministry denounces corruption allegations made by Tucker Carlson. “This is a lie,” spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said in response to Carlson’s unfounded claims that Ukraine resold U.S. weapons on the black market.
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