Russian Corporal Nikita Posmetukhov was sentenced to life in prison on Feb. 10 by Russian authorities for shooting four other Russian soldiers in November 2023, Mediazona reported.
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is under investigation for undeclared assets in Germany, Spiegel reported on Feb. 8, citing the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor's Office.
The European Commission will update the provision of foreign aid and make it more "targeted for partners," Bloomberg reported, citing the draft document.
Key developments on Feb. 10:
* Russia massing troops for new assaults in Chasiv Yar, military warns
* Drones reportedly target key Russian oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai
* Trump claims 'progress' on ending Russia-Ukraine war, confirms contact with Putin
* Ukraine approves high-speed Baton drones for battlefield deployment
* Ukraine to receive Patria 6x6
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.
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.
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.
"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.
Editor’s note: The transcript of this interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Poland holds a special position among Kyiv's partners — with a shared history of Russian oppression and conquest, its leaders have left no room for doubt that the full-scale invasion of Ukraine represented an existential threat
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.
U.S. President Donald
The European Union and NATO must strengthen cooperation to protect critical energy infrastructure from attacks, which pose a growing threat to European stability. The Kremlin, with its history of weaponizing energy, remains a prime suspect. NATO must properly secure the Baltic Sea — the so-called NATO lake.
The Baltic states achieved
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.
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.
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on Feb. 8, 2025, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to The Counteroffensive, click here.
Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine — In the early hours of December 2024, as the sun
"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.
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.
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.
This Sunday, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur gives updates on Ukraine-Russia peace talks, U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing aid freeze, and the debate surrounding a deadly strike on civilian infrastructure in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
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.
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.
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.