Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says he will not present a “bad deal” to end the war for a referendum, and that his country will only hold elections once firm security guarantees and a ceasefire are in place.
Zelensky was speaking ahead of Friday's Munich Security Conference, where there is a chance he will meet US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for both presidential elections and a referendum on any peace agreement with Russia, but set clear conditions for when that could happen.
“The tactic we chose is for the Americans not to think that we want to continue the war,” Zelensky told The Atlantic. “That’s why we started supporting their proposals in any format that speeds things along.
“I don’t think we should put a bad deal up for a referendum,” he added.
Zelensky expressed gratitude to Sir Keir Starmer and John Healey for a “new and timely air defence package” worth £500m on the eve of Friday's conference.
The European leaders gathering in Germany are hoping for clarity around US president Donald Trump’s inconsistent geopolitical policies and threats that have caused concern for transatlantic relations and the post-World War II international order.
Read MoreCreator of Ukrainian Olympics helmet speaks out on Vladyslav Heraskevych’s ban
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Key Points
- Zelensky rules out referendum on 'bad deal'
- Rubio says he will have chance to see Ukraine's Zelensky in Munich
- Russia pounds Ukraine with drones and ballistic missiles
- In pics: Ukrainians struggle without electricity and water
- UK pledges more than £500 million in missiles and defence support for Ukraine - watch
- Zelensky slams Olympics for ‘playing into Russia’s hands’ after Ukraine athlete disqualified
Danish PM to meet Rubio at Munich conference
09:19 , Alex CroftDanish prime minister Mette Frederiksen will meet with US secretary of state Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
The pair will likely discuss the future of Greenland, which has caused significant tension between Washington and Europe in recent months.
The meeting is expected to be held in private.
Denmark to send four F-35 fighter jets to Nato Arctic Sentry mission
09:00 , Alex CroftDenmark’s defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said on Friday that Copenhagen will provide four F-35 fighter jets to Nato’s Arctic Sentry mission.
Earlier this week, Nato said it had launched the mission to strengthen its presence in the Arctic, part of an effort to defuse tensions within the alliance prompted by the US president's push to acquire Greenland from Denmark.
"Our F-35 contribution strengthens the overall presence in the region and underscores Denmark's role as an active ally in the Arctic and North Atlantic," Mr Poulsen said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Munich Security Conference, Mr Poulsen said he expects the US to contribute to the Nato mission.
Russia fires 154 drones and one missile at Ukraine
08:38 , Alex CroftRussian forces fired a Iskander-M ballistic missile and 154 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force has said.
Ukrainian air defences shot down and jammed 111 of the drones. Strikes were recorded by the missile and 22 loitering munitions at 18 locations, it added.
The attack was still underway as of Friday morning.
Three brothers killed in strike on Kramatorsk, Donetsk
08:07 , Alex CroftThree brothers, including one child, have been killed in a strike on the city of Kramatorsk, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Their mother and grandmother were also injured in the attack,” the Donetsk region’s prosecutor said.
“The aggressor state's forces attacked Kramatorsk at 21:15. A residential area was struck.
“A direct hit on a house killed two 19-year-old brothers and their eight-year-old sibling. In addition, their 43-year-old mother and 65-year-old grandmother have been injured."
The women suffered blast injuries and head trauma with concussion and bruising to the chest.
Ukraine's new $8.2 billion IMF programme to be approved within weeks
07:54 , Alex CroftUkraine expects its new $8.2 billion programme with the International Monetary Fund to be formally approved in weeks, Reuters news agency is reporting after an interview with Kyiv’s debt chief.
It would mark a symbolic step, with the war with Russia about to grind into its fifth year.
The agreement, which is set to replace an existing $15.6 billion IMF facility, will help Kyiv maintain economic stability and public spending against what is expected to be a near $140 billion budget shortfall over the next few years.
In an interview with Reuters, Ukraine's long-serving debt management head, Yuriy Butsa, said formal IMF Board sign-off on the money should come very soon.
"I would expect it in a matter of weeks," Butsa said during an interview in London where he was attending meetings. "I think February is still doable in terms of a timeline."
Berlin says Nato countries have been irritated by US remarks
07:37 , Alex CroftRecent comments by US government representatives have caused irritation within Nato, Germany’s foreign minister has said.
Johann Wadephul has called for the Munich Security Conference, taking place from today until Sunday, to be used as an opportunity to overcome differences.
"This alliance is also under pressure. There is alienation, there is irritation about some of the things we hear from Washington. We need to talk about this here together,” he said.
“We want to define our common denominators and the meaning of Nato," Mr Wadephul added to German broadcaster ARD, speaking from Munich.
Germany wants to deliver 5 more missile interceptors to Ukraine, defence minister says
07:11 , Shweta SharmaGermany will deliver five additional PAC-3 missile interceptors to Ukraine if other countries donate a total of 30, German defence minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday.
PAC-3, or Patriot Advanced Capability-3, is among the main weapons the West has supplied to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion.
“We all know it is about saving lives,” Pistorius said in Brussels after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
“It’s a matter of days and not a matter of weeks or months,” he added.
The minister noted that the Patriots announcement has not yet been approved by national governments, but said he is “very optimistic” that the 30+5 target can be achieved.
Zelensky slams Olympics for ‘playing into Russia’s hands’ after Ukraine athlete disqualified
06:52 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky has responded with outrage after a Ukrainian athlete was disqualified for wearing a helmet adorned with the faces of slain Ukrainian athletes.
The Ukrainian president wrote a scathing post on social media which criticised the International Olympics Committee, accusing Olympic chiefs of playing “into the hands of aggressors” by disqualifying Vladyslav Heraskevych.
He also accused them of failing to adhere to “the principle of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace”.
He wrote: “Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors.”
“We are proud of Vladyslav. Having courage is worth more than any medal. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honour and remembrance.
“It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is. No rule has been broken. It is Russia that constantly violates Olympic principles, using the period of the Olympic Games to wage war.”
Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on anniversary of Putin’s invasion
06:45 , Shweta SharmaVolodymyr Zelensky has slammed the“utterly stupid idea” he would announce a spring election and a referendum on a peace deal on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Reports citing Ukrainian and European officials claimed the president intended to announce the plans on 24 February, after the Trump administration issued a June deadline for a finalised peace agreement.
But, without ruling out an announcement at some point, Ukraine’s leader has pushed back on the date itself.
Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on war anniversary
British defence secretary says Russia's war in Ukraine should end in 2026
06:30 , Shweta SharmaUkraine's allies should make sure 2026 is the year Russia's war against Kyiv ends, the British defence secretary has said.
Speaking after a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels, John Healey said Ukraine's allies were "more united and more determined than ever".
He said: "We will step up military assistance to Ukraine. We will step up pressure on Russia.
"And we want to make 2026 the year this war ends, the year we secure peace."
His comments came at a press conference after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) which saw allied nations pledge 35bn US dollars (£25bn) of military support for Ukraine as the war approaches its fourth anniversary at the end of February.
Praising the "courage and defiance" of the Ukrainian people, Mr Healey added that Russia had been fighting in Ukraine for longer than the Soviet Union fought Germany during the Second World War.
The support announced on Thursday includes more than £500m from the UK in the form of new air defence systems, regarded as a priority by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte urged allies to "step up their support" to Kyiv, saying Ukraine "urgently needs more air defence".
Ukrainian strikes damage residential and industrial buildings in Russia
06:10 , Shweta SharmaRussia’s governor in southern Volgograd said several people were injured after Ukrainian drones hit residential buildings and industrial facilities.
Governor Andrei Bocharov said on Telegram that several private homes and cars were damaged in Volgograd and nearby districts. Three people were taken to hospital, he added.
Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, is an industrial city in southwest Russia, on the western bank of the Volga River.
Bocharov also said drones hit a number of industrial enterprises in the city and surrounding region but did not provide further details.
The strikes come as Ukraine and Russia intensify drone and missile attacks amid faltering US-brokered peace efforts.
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched overnight drone and ballistic missile attacks on Thursday, further damaging Ukraine’s energy system and leaving tens of thousands of residents in Kyiv, Dnipro and Odesa without heat, electricity and water.
Industry sources told Reuters that Lukoil-owned Volgograd oil refinery – which accounts for about 5 per cent of Russia’s total oil refining capacity – suspended processing operations on Wednesday after a fire broke out following a Ukrainian drone strike.
Anger among Russian soldiers over Telegram and WhatsApp restrictions - report
05:45 , Shweta SharmaRussian soldiers and pro-war commentators have reacted angrily after the Kremlin moved to slow and further restrict Telegram, warning the decision could disrupt frontline operations in the war against Ukraine, according to a report.
Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, said on Wednesday that it would continue imposing limits on the messaging app as part of broader efforts to tighten control over the information space.
The move follows earlier restrictions on Telegram and WhatsApp calls, in line with president Vladimir Putin’s push to assert greater oversight of digital communications.
For many Russian troops, Telegram is more than a social platform – it is a key operational tool.
“The front is in shock. Starlinks are gone, now they’re jamming Telegram too. How are we supposed to fight? With carrier pigeons?” one soldier wrote in a message shared on pro-war channels, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Complaints come after Russian troops reported losing access to Starlink satellite internet in parts of the front line. Ukrainian defence officials have said initial steps to block Russian use of the service had been effective.
In video appeals circulated by the monitoring channel Lpr 1, three servicemen urged Roskomnadzor not to interfere with Telegram.
“Telegram is our only channel of communication. Do not deprive us of it,” one soldier said.
Another warned the app is critical for responding quickly to Ukrainian drone attacks, saying it allows units to exchange information needed to intercept UAVs.
Rubio says he will have chance to see Ukraine's Zelensky in Munich
05:15 , Shweta SharmaUS secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Thursday that he expects to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at this week’s Munich Security Conference.
Rubio made the remarks to reporters before departing Washington for the conference.
Around 70 heads of state and government and more than 140 ministers, including Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, French president Emmanuel Macron, British prime minister Keir Starmer and India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar are expected under tight security in Munich.
A large delegation from the US Congress had also been expected to accompany Rubio but many pulled out to stay in Washington for a closely watched House vote on funding the Department of Homeland Security.
Artist behind banned Ukrainian Olympic helmet calls Heraskevych's tribute 'great heroism'
04:52 , Shweta SharmaThe artist who painted a controversial helmet that got Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych banned from the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics said his refusal to stop wearing the helmet was "a great act of heroism”.
Artist Iryna Prots meticulously painted upon Heraskevych's helmet portraits of over 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The helmet drew international attention after the IOC said it violated rules banning political messages.
Heraskevych's insistence on wearing it anyway got him barred.
"He could have refused, he could have said, 'Fine, I'll wear another helmet and fight for a medal,'" Prots, 52, told The Associated Press inside her home in Kyiv.
"He didn't do that. To stand up for his truth – that is great heroism.
"Heraskevych came up with the idea for the helmet design and his father, a longtime friend of Prots, asked her to paint it."It had to be done, and it had to be finished in time," Prots said.
"These were athletes who could have been standing there at the Olympics, but they are no longer here."
Pictures show Ukrainians struggle without electricity and water
04:15 , Shweta SharmaAround 3,500 apartment buildings in Kyiv were without heating on Thursday after Russia’s latest wave of attacks disrupted energy supplies across the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
According to Klitschko, nearly 2,600 high-rise buildings lost heating overnight following the strike, adding to 1,100 residential blocks already cut off due to previous attacks.
Russia pounds Ukraine with drones and ballistic missiles
04:00 , Shweta SharmaRussia battered Ukraine’s energy system again into Thursday morning leaving tens of thousands in the capital Kyiv and the cities of Dnipro and Odesa without heat, power and water, officials said.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 24 ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and 219 drones overnight on Thursday. Air defences downed or neutralised 16 missiles and 197 drones, it said.
Two people were hurt in the attack on Kyiv, which also hit a residential building, an official said.
In the industrial southeastern city of Dnipro, a combined missile and drone strike wounded four people, including a baby boy and a four-year-old girl, regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha said on Telegram.
Four people injured in Odesa as Russia hits energy facilities
03:30 , Shweta SharmaFour people were injured in an overnight Russian attack that struck energy facilities and other critical infrastructure in Odesa, Kyiv Independent reported, citing regional officials.
Governor Oleh Kiper said Russian forces launched a large-scale drone assault on the region.
“The enemy continues to massively attack the Odesa region with strike drones. Despite the active work of air defence forces, direct hits and falling drone debris were recorded,” he said.
One of the injured was hospitalised in serious condition. Residential buildings, industrial sites, energy facilities and port infrastructure were damaged in the strikes, officials said.
The attack also disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies. Restoration work is ongoing.
The assault followed another wave of strikes a day earlier, when Russian forces targeted Odesa and other major cities including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv with drones and missiles aimed at Ukraine’s energy sector. Power generation facilities and substations were hit in Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro.
Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s critical infrastructure through the autumn and winter months, leaving thousands without electricity and heating during freezing temperatures.
Recap: Russia fully blocks WhatsApp in major crackdown
03:00 , Bryony GoochRussia has moved to "fully block" Meta-owned WhatsApp, according to a company spokesperson, as Moscow intensifies its efforts to promote domestic platforms and tighten its grip on the nation's internet.
This action comes amid a deepening dispute with foreign technology providers, which escalated following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Authorities in Moscow are actively promoting a state-backed alternative messaging service named 'MAX'. Critics have voiced concerns that this app could be utilised for user tracking, although these allegations have been dismissed as false by state media.
"Due to Meta's unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed made and implemented," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, proposing that Russians switch to MAX, Russia's state-owned messenger.
"MAX is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger, and it is available on the market for citizens as an alternative," said Peskov.
Zelensky rules out referendum on 'bad deal'
02:59 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would not put a “bad deal” to a referendum and would only hold a vote once firm security guarantees and a ceasefire were in place.
In an interview published by The Atlantic, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for both presidential elections and a referendum on any peace agreement, but set clear conditions for when that could happen.
“The tactic we chose is for the Americans not to think that we want to continue the war,” Zelensky said. “That’s why we started supporting their proposals in any format that speeds things along.”
He added that Ukraine was “not afraid of anything”.
“Are we ready for elections? We’re ready. Are we ready for a referendum? We’re ready,” he said.
Zelensky said he had rejected a proposal, reported this week by the Financial Times, to announce elections and a referendum on February 24 – the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
He said a ceasefire and proposed US security guarantees against a future invasion had not yet been finalised.
“No one is clinging to power,” Zelensky was quoted as saying. “I am ready for elections. But for that we need security, guarantees of security, a ceasefire.”
He added: “I don’t think we should put a bad deal up for a referendum.”
Zelensky has said in recent weeks that a document outlining security guarantees for Ukraine is almost ready to be signed.
But in his latest remarks, he acknowledged that key details remain unresolved, including whether the United States would be willing to shoot down incoming missiles over Ukraine if Russia were to violate any peace agreement.
“This hasn’t been fixed yet,” Zelensky said. “We have raised it, and we will continue to raise these questions. We need all of this to be written out.”
Zelensky slams idea he would announce elections on war anniversary
02:00 , Bryony Gooch Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on war anniversary
Watch: UK pledges more than £500 million in missiles and defence support for Ukraine
01:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRubio to meet Zelensky in Munich
00:00 , Bryony GoochUS secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Thursday he would have a chance to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at this week's Munich Security Conference. Rubio made the comment to reporters before his departure from Washington to the conference.
Kremlin says it expects next round of peace talks on Ukraine to happen soon
Thursday 12 February 2026 23:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe Kremlin said on Thursday that it expected the next round of peace talks on Ukraine to happen soon and that there was already an understanding about their timing and location.
Three sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters that US officials have proposed a trilateral meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Miami.
“We have a certain understanding (of the details), and we will keep you informed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“We expect the next (third) round of talks to take place soon.”
Russia attacks another Ukraine's thermal power plant, says company DTEK
Thursday 12 February 2026 22:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine's major private energy company DTEK said on Thursday that Russia attacked its thermal power plant overnight, causing significant damage to the plant's equipment.
"This is the eleventh massive attack on the company's thermal power plants since October 2025," DTEK said on the Telegram messenger, giving no more details.
Ukrainian speed skater told to cover up ‘war propaganda’ message as new Olympic helmet row erupts
Thursday 12 February 2026 21:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian short track speed skater Oleh Handei has revealed he was instructed to cover an inspirational message on his helmet at the Olympics, after officials deemed it linked to the ongoing war with Russia.
Handei's disclosure follows the ejection of his compatriot, skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, from competition over his "helmet of remembrance" which depicted athletes killed since Russia's invasion, despite a personal appeal from the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to wear it.
Ukrainian speed skater told to cover up ‘war propaganda’ message on helmet
Kremlin says it won’t stop fighting until Kyiv gives in as first day of peace talks end in Abu Dhabi
Thursday 12 February 2026 20:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia has warned Ukraine that it will not stop fighting until Kyiv makes what the Kremlin considers the right “decisions” to end the conflict as the first day of peace talks between the parties ended on Wednesday.
Two-day trilateral meetings took place in Abu Dhabi and are set to continue on Thursday as US-brokered negotiations desperately seek to end the nearly four-year conflict.
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner led the US delegation while Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov and Russia by military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov.
Kremlin says it won’t stop fighting until Kyiv gives in as first day of talks end
Is this the moment Europe pulls away from Trump to see off Russia’s war against Ukraine?
Thursday 12 February 2026 19:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEuropeans need to wean themselves off the US security system, and in Munich, Trump’s team will give them good reason to, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Europe and the liberal democracies of the West face a reckoning this week in Munich: will they be willing, or able, to pull away from a hostile US and forge the capacity to see off Russia’s war against Europe?
Is this when Europe pulls away from Trump to see off Russia’s war against Ukraine?
Freezing on the front line: The Ukrainians struggling to survive in -26C cold with scarce food and no power
Thursday 12 February 2026 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAs the fourth anniversary of Putin’s invasion nears and peace talks show little signs of progress, Ukrainians tell Alex Croft about the grim reality on the ground:
As three-way peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US stall, freezing Ukrainians say they are struggling to feed their families while Putin’s relentless assault continues.
Russian forces began the year by ramping up their strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, plunging large swathes of the country into darkness.
Ukraine is suffering its coldest winter in more than a decade, and without power, many of its people have been unable to cook meals while temperatures plummet as low as -26C.
Freezing on front line: The Ukrainians struggling to survive Putin’s war in -26C cold
Germany to deliver 5 more interceptor missiles to Ukraine, defence minister says
Thursday 12 February 2026 17:47 , Maryam Zakir-HussainGermany will deliver five additional PAC-3 missile interceptors to Ukraine if other countries donate a total of 30, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday.
PAC-3, or Patriot Advanced Capability-3, is among the main weapons the West has supplied to Ukraine as it fights Russia's invasion.
"We all know it is about saving lives," Pistorius said.
"It's a matter of days and not a matter of weeks or months.”
Zelensky accuses Olympics of playing into Moscow’s hands after athlete disqualified
Thursday 12 February 2026 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVolodymyr Zelensky has responded with outrage after a Ukrainian athlete was disqualified for wearing a helmet with the faces of killed Ukrainian athletes.
The Ukrainian president wrote a scathing post on social media which criticised the International Olympics Committee, accusing them of failing to adhere to “the principle of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace”.
He wrote: “Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors.”
Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors. Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise. This is certainly… pic.twitter.com/gGXizj5C5m
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 12, 2026
Over 220,000 people in Russia's Belgorod region without electricity after attack, governor says
Thursday 12 February 2026 16:23 , Maryam Zakir-HussainMore than 220,000 people in Russia's Belgorod region have been left without electricity after a Ukrainian attack caused an accident at a substation, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Thursday.
"Emergency crews are working. Restoration will take at least 4 hours," Gladkov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Kremlin memo outlines potential US-Russia economic pact under Trump, Bloomberg News reports
Thursday 12 February 2026 15:56 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia has outlined potential areas for economic cooperation with the Trump administration, including a possible return to using the US dollar in bilateral dealings, Bloomberg News reported, citing an internal Kremlin memo.
The senior-level document, dated this year, sets out seven areas where Russian and US economic objectives align after any Ukraine war settlement, the report said.
These include cooperation on promoting fossil fuels over renewable energy, as well as collaborative ventures in natural gas, offshore petroleum and strategic minerals that could benefit American firms, it said.
Putin's children's commissioner says six kids to reunite with families in Russia and Ukraine, thanks Melania Trump
Thursday 12 February 2026 15:44 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, said on Thursday that six more children were being reunited with their families in Russia and Ukraine and credited US First Lady Melania Trump.
One child would return to Russia and five children would be reunited with their families in Ukraine, she added.
The US First Lady wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin last August about the plight of Ukrainian children separated from their families by the war.
Ukraine accuses Russia of abducting thousands of children, which Moscow denies.
In photos: Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych out of Winter Olympics over banned helmet tribute
Thursday 12 February 2026 15:10 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is out of the Milan Cortina Games after he refused to stop wearing a banned tribute helmet.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
In photos: Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych out of Winter Olympics over banned helmet tribute
Ukrainian disqualified from Winter Olympics after wearing banned war tribute helmet
Thursday 12 February 2026 14:52 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe International Olympic Committee (IOC) has disqualified Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych from competing in this afternoon’s skeleton heats after he followed up on his vow to wear a banned helmet in tribute to Ukrainian athletes who have died during the war with Russia.
Heraskevych, 27, said he would rather sacrifice his dream of a medal at the Winter Olympics than “betray” his fallen compatriots killed since Russia’s invasion four years ago. Heraskevych’s helmet features images of Ukrainian athletes killed during the war.
Read more here:
Ukrainian disqualified from Winter Olympics over war tribute helmet
Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on anniversary of Putin’s invasion
Thursday 12 February 2026 14:05 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVolodymyr Zelensky has slammed the“utterly stupid idea” he would announce a spring election and a referendum on a peace deal on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Reports citing Ukrainian and European officials claimed the president intended to announce the plans on 24 February, after the Trump administration issued a June deadline for a finalised peace agreement.
But, without ruling out an announcement at some point, Ukraine’s leader has pushed back on the date itself.
Alex Croft has more here:
Zelensky slams ‘utterly stupid idea’ he would announce elections on war anniversary
Is this the moment Europe pulls away from Trump to see off Russia’s war against Ukraine?
Thursday 12 February 2026 13:45 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEuropeans need to wean themselves off America’s security system, and in Munich, Trump’s team will give them a good reason to, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Is this when Europe pulls away from Trump to see off Russia’s war against Ukraine?
Russian drone strike kills Ukrainian father and three children
Thursday 12 February 2026 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA Russian drone strike has tragically claimed the lives of a father and his three young children in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, seriously wounding their 35-week pregnant mother, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The drone strike completely destroyed the brick house, setting it ablaze and trapping the family under the rubble, according to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office.
The 34-year-old father and his three children – twin boys aged two and their one-year-old sister – were killed. Rescue workers pulled the mother alive from the debris, though she sustained blast injuries, a traumatic brain injury, burns, and hearing loss.
Russian drone strike kills Ukrainian father and three children
Ukrainian arms producers receive first wartime export licences, Kyiv says
Thursday 12 February 2026 12:41 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian arms producers have received the first wartime licences to export their goods abroad, the secretary of Kyiv's national security and defence council said on Thursday.
Kyiv recently took the politically sensitive decision to export weapons while it fights a war against Russia as it seeks funds to expand its domestic defence industry and tries to use its innovative weapons as diplomatic leverage to strengthen its alliances.
In a statement on social media, Rustem Umerov did not specify how many enterprises had received a license but said Ukraine's annual production capacity in the sector exceeds $55 billion. Umerov said the interdepartmental government commission which approves arms exports had already held its first meeting in eights months.
Since it was attacked by Russia in February 2022, Ukraine's defence sector has boomed, and now comprises more than 1000 companies, most of them new private sector enterprises.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said recently Ukraine has 450 drone producers; small and cheap Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are now responsible for a majority of strikes on battlefield targets.
"In the areas of UAVs, electronic warfare and reconnaissance, our capabilities already exceed the volume of domestic procurement," Umerov wrote. "Coordinated exports allow us to attract investment, scale up production and launch new technologies for the Ukrainian army."
Zelensky says Moscow 'hesitating' about another round of US peace talks
Thursday 12 February 2026 11:42 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow was "hesitating" about another round of US-brokered talks on stopping the fighting.
Washington has proposed further negotiations next week between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Miami or Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, which was the location of the last meeting, Mr Zelensky said late on Wednesday.
Ukraine "immediately confirmed" it would attend, he said. "So far, as I understand it, Russia is hesitating," Mr Zelensky told reporters in a messaging app interview late Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that another round of talks was expected "soon" but gave no further details.
American officials made no comment on the possibility of further talks as part of a yearlong peace effort by the Trump administration. Mr Zelensky said last week that the United States has given Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach a deal.
But with Russia's invasion of its neighbour marking its fourth anniversary later this month, disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv over key issues have held up a comprehensive settlement.
Ukraine foreign minister says attacks on energy grid 'a blow to peace efforts'
Thursday 12 February 2026 10:38 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack as undermining peace push led by US president Donald Trump to end the four-year war.
“No one can close eyes to Russian terror. It is happening right now in the middle of Europe. Despite the Olympic Truce and US-led peace efforts.”
Overnight, Russia brutally attacked Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odesa.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) February 12, 2026
Hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles targeted energy system, depriving people of power, heating, and water. Civilians were injured, including a toddler and a 4-year-old child.
No one can close eyes to Russian… pic.twitter.com/0JjIv2MCYC
Kremlin says it expects next round of peace talks on Ukraine to happen soon
Thursday 12 February 2026 10:25 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe Kremlin said on Thursday that it expected the next round of peace talks on Ukraine to happen soon and that there was already an understanding about their timing and location.
Three sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters that US officials have proposed a trilateral meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Miami.
“We have a certain understanding (of the details), and we will keep you informed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“We expect the next (third) round of talks to take place soon.”
Putin’s forces knock out power in Ukrainian cities as thousands without heat
Thursday 12 February 2026 09:52 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia pounded Ukraine with drones and ballistic missiles overnight on Thursday, further battering its energy system and leaving tens of thousands in the capital Kyiv and the cities of Dnipro and Odesa without heat, power and water, officials said.
In Kyiv alone, around 3,500 apartment buildings were without heating on Thursday after the latest attack knocked out supplies to nearly 2,600 high-rises, on top of the 1,100 already affected by previous strikes, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
More than 100,000 families were without electricity, according to private energy firm DTEK, which said one of its thermal power plants had been targeted but did not disclose the location.
Two people were hurt in the attack on Kyiv, which also hit a residential building, Klitschko said.
In Odesa, nearly 300,000 people were left without water as the attack disrupted power supplies, deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said.
He added that close to 200 buildings in the strategic Black Sea port were left without heating.
Ukrainian drone strike causes fire at refinery in Russia's Arctic Komi region, governor says
Thursday 12 February 2026 09:31 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe head of Russia's northern Komi Republic, Rostislav Goldshtein, said on Thursday that a Ukrainian drone attack had caused a fire at an oil refinery.
No one was injured, he said on Telegram.