These are important developments since the 1,450th day of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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Published February 13, 2026
Here’s what happened on Friday, February 13th.
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia was “hesitating” about resuming U.S.-brokered talks to end the war, and Russia launched a nighttime barrage of ballistic missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities on Thursday, officials reported. President Zelenskiy said on the messaging app Telegram on Thursday night that the Russian military launched 219 drones and 24 ballistic missiles, injuring and killing people and damaging energy infrastructure in Kiev, Odessa and Dnipro. The attack on the railway hub of Rozova in northeastern Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, left two people dead and six others injured, local prosecutors said. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that nearly 2,600 high-rise apartments were left without heating, especially in the capital’s Desnyansky, Dniprovsky, Pechersky and Solomyansky districts, following recent Russian attacks. Klitschko said temperatures in Kiev are expected to drop to -13 degrees Celsius (8.6 degrees Fahrenheit) this week, and the attack came as 1,100 high-rise buildings in the Dniprovsky and Dalnitsky districts were already “without heating after the last shelling.” In Russia’s Belgorod region, more than 220,000 people lost power after a Ukrainian attack caused an accident at a power substation, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Odessa state emergency department said Russian drones attacked a nine-story house, an outdoor market and a supermarket, causing multiple fires. The drone attack also damaged energy infrastructure, the emergency service added in a Facebook post. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces announced that, according to preliminary reports, Ukrainian forces attacked a refinery in Ukhta, Russia’s Komi Republic, about 1,750 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, causing a fire. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha said last month’s Russian attack on the Ukrainian branch of the Soviet-built Druzhba oil pipeline had halted shipments of Russian oil to Eastern Europe. Despite the war with Russia, Ukraine continues to ship Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary, although it stopped shipping Russian gas last year. Ukraine says the bodies of two Nigerians who were fighting for Russia have been found in the country’s east. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Hamzat Kazeem Kolawole and Mbaha Stephen Udka both served in the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces.
military aid
British Defense Secretary John Healy said Ukraine’s allies have pledged about $35 billion in military aid to Kiev this year. Diplomats told Reuters the figure includes new commitments by each country as well as previous arms commitments from Ukraine’s allies, including 11.5 billion euros ($13.6 billion) already announced by Germany. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his country is ready to deliver five new PAC-3 interceptors for Ukraine’s air defense, provided that other allies of Ukraine deliver at least another 30 of their own interceptors. Norway announced it would buy “large quantities” of French-made glide bombs as part of a bilateral agreement to militarily support Ukraine against Russian aggression. Britain has announced an “urgent provision” of more than 500 million pounds sterling ($681 million) worth of air defense missiles and systems “to protect Ukraine from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s brutal attacks on energy facilities and homes.” According to a report by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a think tank based in Germany, US military aid to Ukraine decreased by 99% in 2025 compared to 2024. According to the Kiel report, in 2025 “European military aid will be 67 percent higher than the 2022-2024 average.”
peace negotiations
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said another round of talks to end the war in Ukraine was planned “soon” but gave no further details. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Sibikha said Russia’s recent overnight attack on Ukraine further undermined efforts to end the war through dialogue. “Each such attack is a blow to peace efforts aimed at ending the war. Russia needs to take diplomacy seriously and de-escalate tensions,” Sibiha wrote in X.
regional security
Estonia plans to purchase 12 additional Caesar self-propelled howitzers from France to strengthen its defense capabilities. European Union leaders on Thursday agreed in principle on a plan to restructure the bloc’s 27-nation economy and make it more competitive in the face of hostilities from US President Donald Trump, China’s aggressive tactics and a combined threat from Russia. Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine will begin exporting weapons, including drones, in the coming weeks, according to Ukraine’s Ukrinform news agency.
energy
Ukraine’s Energy Minister Denis Shmyhal told parliament’s energy committee that the country’s power plants, which were damaged by Russian missile and drone attacks, are producing too little power to supply the population.
politics and diplomacy
French President Emmanuel Macron said there was no need to rush into starting dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing the need for European countries to fine-tune their goals. In an interview published in several newspapers on Tuesday, President Macron mentioned the possibility of reviving dialogue with President Putin. Washington and Moscow have announced that six more Russian and Ukrainian children are being reunited with their families. Maria Luboi-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, said in a Telegram post that one child will be returned to Russia and five children will be reunited with their families in Ukraine. Ukraine has accused Russia of abducting thousands of children, and the International Criminal Court has called for the arrest of President Putin and Rybova Belova on suspicion of illegally deporting children. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would have the opportunity to meet with President Zelenskiy at this week’s Munich Security Conference.
sports
Ukrainian athlete Vladislav Heraskevich has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being banned from participating in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The skeleton racer was suspended over a dispute over a helmet he attempted to wear at an event commemorating Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia. “(The decision) was made by a jury of the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) based on the fact that the helmet he intended to wear was not compliant with the regulations,” the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in a statement. President Zelensky reacted to the decision, accusing the IOC of having “played into the hands of the aggressors” after Ukrainian Sports Minister Matvy Vidnyy said Ukraine would use legal means to reverse the decision. “We are proud of Vladislav and his achievements. Courage is worth more than any medal,” Zelenskiy said.
