Ukraine
“Mum, I don’t want to go back there…”: blind political prisoner Sizikov was released from a penal colony on health grounds, but then the decision was overturned
Political prisoner’s mother, Olena Sizikova, spoke about what he had to endure in the colony, how he adapted to life at home after prison, and the circumstances of his new detention
Russian shelling killed four people in Ukraine on February 17
According to the National Police of Ukraine, Russian military shelling on February 17, 2026, killed four civilians in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. Nearly 20 others were injured, with casualties also reported in the Kherson and Odesa Oblasts
Greece urges Russia to immediately return forcibly “transferred Ukrainian children”
Greece joined international calls for Russia to immediately return over 20,000 Ukrainian children forcibly transferred or deported since the invasion, with officials warning the practice represents "a blatant assault on our humanity"
Family rescued from forced separation in temporarily occupied territory
This family lived under occupation, during which the children were forced to attend a Russian school. Occupation structures systematically pressured the mother: they threatened her with fines and promised to take the children to an orphanage. Russian military personnel regularly came to their home for inspections. The father, who is an ATO veteran, was repeatedly detained, interrogated, and beaten
Moscow launched record number of ballistic missiles against Ukraine in January
Zelenskyy thanked the European countries whose support enables Ukraine to receive air defense missiles. In particular, he thanked Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands for their strong leadership in Europe in providing Ukraine with air defense systems
An elderly couple from a village on the banks of the Dnipro River rescued from under the rubble following a Russian strike
There was a threat of a "double-tap" strike on the police officers. Ultimately, it didn't occur, and both survivors are now under medical supervision
Russian authorities have sentenced a resident of occupied Tokmak to 15 years in prison for donating to the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In total, the pensioner made 24 transfers totaling 63,420 rubles. She sent the funds in hryvnias from her Ukrainian pension, believing she had the right to manage her own savings to support the Ukrainian military
Russian nighttime attack in Kharkiv region leaves five civilians injured
Five civilians were wounded as a result of Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region during the night of February 16, 2026, according to the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office
Disqualified skeleton racer Heraskevych and German initiative Athletes for Peace launch campaign for fallen Ukrainian athletes’ families (updated)
The athlete showcased a helmet featuring 24 portraits, yet emphasized that far more athletes [650 persons] have been killed. He urged that this must be remembered
Over the four years of the full-scale war, Russians have killed 45 employees of Ukrposhta
According to Smilyanskyy, the enterprise has invested over 1 billion hryvnias of its own and borrowed funds into restoring its vehicle fleet. The company is also involved in implementing social initiatives: it delivers aid under the "Winter Support" program, facilitates the registration of Starlink equipment, and ensures the delivery of medicines and charging stations for children with disabilities so they can maintain the operation of essential equipment during power outages
Russian attacks killed over 160 people in Ukraine during January — UN report
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) stated in its report that at least 161 civilians were killed and another 757 people were injured due to Russian attacks across Ukraine in January 2026. Massive strikes on energy infrastructure caused large-scale disruptions of electricity, heat, and water for millions of Ukrainians
Zelenskyy compares Donbas withdrawal risk to Afghanistan pullout
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine simply cannot withdraw from its own territory in exchange for its other sovereign territories where thousands of people live
On February 12, Russian shelling killed eight adults and child in Ukraine
As a result of Russian shelling during the 24-hour period of February 12, 2026, nine civilians were killed in the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, and more than two dozen others were injured, including in Kyiv and the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions
Russian military has been killing children in Ukraine with shelling for four consecutive days
In total, since 2022, the Russian army has killed 684 children in Ukraine according to official data alone, and injured more than 2,300 others. Last year, the number of killed and injured children tripled compared to the year before
Russian strike kills three brothers, injures their mother and grandmother in Kramatorsk
Four people, including three brothers, have been killed and two of their relatives have been injured in a Russian strike on the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk Oblast on the evening of February 12
Russians killed six adults and three children in Ukraine with shelling on February 11
As a result of Russian military shelling over the course of February 11 in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions, nine civilians were killed, and more than four dozen others sustained various injuries, specifically in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions
Russian night drone strikes kill father and three children: widespread destruction and further injuries reported
Four victims of the overnight strike are a family from Bohodukhiv in the Kharkiv Oblast
Moscow pressures families of Ukrainian POWs to register blocked Starlink terminals
The Coordination Headquarters called on Ukrainians to contact them and law enforcement agencies if they receive offers or threats to register terminals in their name
Columns
Only 5% of those responsible for deporting Ukrainian children face global sanctions
The human safari: How Russia weaponized precision against Ukrainian civilians
The lesson of Crimea: Rewarding aggression only invites more war
Not just Ukraine — Russia is preparing Ukrainian children for future wars elsewhere
