🟨 Occupiers detain Ukrainians for “treason” or “discrediting the Russian army” — UN Monitoring Mission

Russia is ignoring international law by carrying out mass detentions of Ukrainians in occupied territories. People are persecuted for criticising the invasion and accused of “discrediting” the Russian army.

🟨 Absurd charges and violations of conventions

• Russia systematically violates international law by detaining Ukrainian civilians, said Noel Calhoun, Deputy Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission.
• Instead of Ukrainian law, occupation authorities apply Russian legislation, in breach of international norms.
• “They detain Ukrainians for treason or for discrediting the Russian armed forces under Russian legislation. In other words, for criticising Russian soldiers for invading their country, which is absurd,” the human rights defender stressed.

🟨 Mass torture and total isolation

• The UN Monitoring Mission documented systematic ill-treatment of civilian detainees. Of 216 people released from Russian captivity, 199 confirmed cases of abuse.
• “We concluded that this amounts to mass torture. International law clearly states that torture and cruel treatment of civilians are prohibited even during war,” the report emphasises.
• Detainees are held in total isolation, without access to courts or independent monitors; many are deported to remote regions of Russia, making them difficult to trace.

[Source: ZMINA]

⬜ ‘It’s simply a desire to destroy us’ Kyiv residents explain how they are surviving the cold as Russia weaponizes winter

After months of massive Russian strikes on power plants and distribution networks, residents of Ukrainian cities are freezing in their homes. Many have had little to no electricity or heating since the start of the year, and in some places, there’s no running water either. The hardest hit regions have been Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia, as well as Kyiv and the surrounding region. The capital’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, says around 600,000 people have left Kyiv in January alone, as temperatures plunged to -15° Celsius (5° Fahrenheit) — well below the seasonal norm. To learn how Ukrainians are surviving these extreme conditions, Meduza spoke to five residents of Kyiv and the surrounding region who chose to stay.

⬜️ Making it through the freezing winter in Kyiv

The Russian war machine has been trying to knock out electricity and heating in the Ukrainian capital

— article by Nikita Ivansky
Freedom, a Journal of Anarchist Socialism

⬜️ As winter came so did Russian attempts to break the morale of Ukrainians through a systematic campaign of terror targeting the civilian population. In September-December 2025 Russia launched around 5,000 Shahed drones per month against different targets primarily infrastructure.

⬜️ When talking to friends in Ukraine back in Autumn, it was clear that this winter will be very challenging, taking in account how much the Russian state focused its attack on energy infrastructure of the country. Blackouts started in October in different cities all across the region, with the heating season starting a bit later.

⬜️ With rockets and drones hitting the Ukrainian capital almost on daily basis, the situation is moving into humanitarian catastrophe as thousands of houses are left without heating in the freezing temperatures.

⬜️ This is happening while Trump’s attention has drifted away from Ukraine in search of a more interesting target. With a friend of Putin running the White House, the hope of peace in the coming months or even years seems distant to many. Russia’s tactic in the current situation is to wear down the Ukrainian population, which will probably pressure the government into making more problematic deals with Putin’s regime.

⬜️ Despite all this, some people in the city organize parties in the yards of their houses to warm up as there is little left for humans in the cold concrete buildings. With no electricity or heating, some people come outside to cook food, dance, and spend time together instead of freezing in the small rooms of their apartments.

⬜️ This could mislead someone into believing that the situation is not that bad. The reality is much worse: the temperature in Kyiv dropped to -14°C on Saturday night. Many places don’t have water, heating, or electricity, and the situation is slowly drifting into a possible humanitarian crisis.

⬜️ With all this happening, the Ukrainian population becomes even more dependent on mutual aid and solidarity. You can support the people by donating to the Solidarity Collectives’ Humanitarian Aid Department. You can also buy a generator, power station, or other useful items and send them to Kyiv.

— Nikita Ivansky
Freedom, a Journal of Anarchist Socialism

⬜️ Making it through the freezing winter in Kyiv

The Russian war machine has been trying to knock out electricity and heating in the Ukrainian capital

— article by Nikita Ivansky
Freedom, a Journal of Anarchist Socialism

Russian casualties in Ukraine are estimated at nearly 1.2 million

The number of Russian and Ukrainian troops killed, wounded or gone missing in nearly four years of war could reach 2 million by this spring, according to a study, as Moscow’s invasion shows no sign of abating.

A report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates Russia has had about 1.2 million casualties, including as many as 325,000 deaths, while close to 600,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed, wounded or gone missing.

⬜️ Help Ukraine survive in winter! Support these emergency fundraisers!

Call for action by the European network for Solidarity with Ukraine (ENSU)

https://bit.ly/4rnlk2z

⬜️ The criminal Putin regime is intent on making life unliveable for the Ukrainian people, turning the freezing temperatures of winter into a weapon of war through an unending assault on the country’s energy infrastructure.

In this crisis situation, immediate help is needed. ENSU encourages everyone to support one of the following emergency fundraising campaigns organised for this purpose in different countries.

⬜️ Ukraine: Solidarity Collectives

Fundraising for humanitarian needs of displaced persons, residents of frontline territories, hospitals

PayPal
solidaritycollectivesua.humanitarian@proton.me

Monobank card
4441111124163464

Link
https://bit.ly/4btXdL2

⬜️ Poland: Warmth from Poland to Kyiv

In Poland, the Stand with Ukraine Foundation is organising a fundraiser called ‘Warmth from Poland for Kyiv’.

PayPal
@forUAvictory

Bank details
Beneficiary: FUNDACJA ‘STAND WITH UKRAINE’
IBAN: PL95 1140 2004 0000 3612 1602 8771
BIC/SWIFT: BREXPLPWMBK

Link
https://bit.ly/4rsLGQR

⬜️ Belgium: Association of Ukrainian Women in Belgium

Fundraiser for electrical generators

Bank details
IBAN: BE33 9502 0144 1346
Mark your contribution: Generator

Link
https://bit.ly/4qLXjSP

⬜️ Czechia: SOS Kyiv

Emergency fundraiser for generators and backup batteries

Link
https://bit.ly/4k5oEwO

⬜️ Canada: Ukrainian World Congress

Emergency fundraiser for community energy and essential services

Link
https://bit.ly/49MLK80

⬜️ Ukraine: Rubryka

Emergency fundraiser for Ukrainian blackout essentials

Link
https://bit.ly/4tr3Mof

⬛ Russia Targets Civilian Transport, Killing 15 Miners in Dnipropetrovsk Region

The victims were DTEK workers returning home after their shift.

Russian forces attacked a bus carrying miners in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Sunday, Feb. 1, killing 15 people.

🟥 Support our comrades, Ukrainian left-wing activists fighting against Russia's aggression on the battlefield! You can do so by making a donation to the voluntary foundation Solidarity Collectives. On their website, you can find reports on how the money raised is being spent and what the members of the resistance need [payment details: https://bit.ly/3Q46fD1]. Besides they rise donations to their own FPV-drone workshop to supply detachments where our comrades serve. There is also an option to contribute to the humanitarian aid that Solidarity Collectives provides to the civilian population in cities affected by the war.

⬛ Yesterday Russia's fascists attacked Ukrainian miners in Dnipropetrovsk during a shift change, killing 16 and injuring 7. Solidarity with the workers of Pavlohrad and their unions NGPU and PRUP.

Please donate to support Ukrainian miners and other workers on the front line. The fundriser has been launched by the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign.

🟦 UN secretary general rejects Russia’s bid to justify Crimea and Donbas occupation as "self-determination"

"It is our position that the principle of self-determination does not apply in the situations of Crimea and Donbas. So, in that situation, the principle that prevails is the principle of the territorial integrity of Ukraine."

— António Guterres
UN Secretary General, answering a question from a Russian journalist

🟩 Al Jazeera: In war-torn Ukraine, showing sympathy for Palestine is no longer a taboo

With Washington’s stance on Ukraine shifting, debates in Kyiv over Gaza continue to gain momentum.

— excerpts from the article by Nils Adler, Al Jazeera

🟩 "...as Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continued and developed into a genocide against Palestinians, some Ukrainians said public opinion gradually shifted. [...]

Pro-Palestinian protests have sprung up in Kyiv while prominent mainstream media journalists and podcasters have begun covering the plight of the Palestinians, she explained. [...]

Kyiv has also shifted its stance towards Palestine, with Zelenskyy publicly saying at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in 2024 that “Ukraine recognises two states, both Israel and Palestine, and will do everything it can to convince Israel to stop, to end this conflict and prevent the suffering of civilians”

In July 2024, Kyiv sent 1,000 tonnes of wheat flour to the Palestinian territories as humanitarian assistance through its “Grain from Ukraine” initiative.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also openly criticised Israel’s September 2025 attack on Qatar, describing it as a gross violation of international law."

⬜️ Putin's strikes on peaceful Ukrainian civilians are strikes on his own support in Russia

Statement by the Russian anti-war initiative “Leftists for peace without annexations”

⬜️ Russia's recent missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's heat and power generation facilities have pushed major cities to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. Following the strikes overnight from January 20 to 21, around 80% of homes in Kyiv were left without electricity, and 5,000 apartment buildings were without heating. Similar devastating effects from Putin's attacks have been seen in Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and elsewhere.

⬜️ Although restoration of heating in Kyiv is promised for tomorrow, according to Klitschko, 600,000 people have already left the city. Apartment temperatures have dropped to 10°C, and in some places to -4°C. Water has frozen in toilets, making them unusable. People are surviving as best they can—some using generators, others heating points, some gas. But life in a multi-story building without heating and electricity in winter is sheer torment, a real ordeal.

⬜️ Russian media shamelessly report on strikes against Ukraine's energy and infrastructure facilities, quoting General Popov. They say that in previous years Russia refrained from such actions to spare the population, but now we see the inefficiency of that earlier approach. Russian outlets relish statements from Ukrainian politicians about the dire situation. It's no coincidence that WhatsApp and incoming international calls have been cut off—making it harder for relatives, acquaintances, and friends in Ukraine to reach Russians.

⬜️ Indeed, this is the first time that the Russian authorities have gone so far in attacking the everyday lives of Ukrainian city dwellers, Ukrainian workers. It can be stated outright: this is not collateral damage, but a deliberate attack on the civilian population. Previous winters saw isolated strikes, but in 2026 the series of attacks was deliberately timed to coincide with the "Christmas" and "Epiphany" frosts. Many districts in Kyiv are now being reconnected to power for the second time—they had already been cut off after the January 9 strikes.

⬜️ If you're reading this and you're Russian, a leftist—know that right now, hundreds of thousands and millions of Ukrainian workers are freezing in cold apartments without electricity, unable to use even basic household appliances. The blame lies not with some abstract capitalism, nor with all countries of the world, but with a very specific Russian imperialism.

⬜️ The military significance of these attacks appears limited. It seems the main goal set by the Russian authorities is to force the Ukrainian state to accept unjust peace terms. So, we wish the Ukrainians resilience, good fortune, and courage—the outcome of this war depends on them.

⬜️ Conscious Russians, anti-war leftists, must use the current situation to spread information about Russia's inhumane crimes in Ukraine. Sympathy based on heating outages is entirely possible and even likely, considering that Russian capitalism has often left Russian workers without heating in winter [...]. We need to spread this information so that even the most hardened pro-Putin supporters or ordinary people who still have some humanity left understand that the Russian state is bringing Ukraine not liberation, but darkness, cold, death, dictatorship—and that this must be resisted.

🟨 Kherson nine jailed 14–20 years for “terrorism” by Russia

Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced nine Ukrainians from Kherson to long prison terms in a maximum-security colony.

🟨 Sentences and charges

• Nine Kherson residents received 14–20 years in maximum-security colony.
• Russian side claims they planned "terrorist attacks" in occupied Kherson region in 2022, including killings of collaborators.
• Two allegedly made an explosive device with Vasyl Stetsenko (who died after torture in Aug 2022).
• All defendants in court retracted prior statements, citing torture.

🟨 Case circumstances

• Convicted include entrepreneurs, small business owners, fish production manager, Red Cross volunteer, ex-UAF servicemen, city council & customs officials, one manager with Russian citizenship.
• Case file says arrests on Oct 6, 2022 in Simferopol; defendants claim abductions in Kherson July–Sep 2022 and torture in ex-police basement.
• In Rostov SIZO-1 detention center, systematic beatings and forced singing of Russian anthem reported; abuse worsened after lawyers’ complaints.

[Source: Bukvy]

🟨 Kherson nine jailed 14–20 years for “terrorism” by Russia

Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced nine Ukrainians from Kherson to long prison terms in a maximum-security colony.

🟥 National security, a "license" for genocide

"States [...] want to retain the right to do whatever they deem necessary when they feel existentially threatened. [...] We've seen this logic at work with Russia in Ukraine, China with the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Myanmar with the Rohingya and Israel in Gaza. [...] This allows them to sidestep the genocide convention."

— Dirk Moses
genocide scholar, historian

[Source: ERR]

🟨 The cost of Russia's war economy

Percentage-point change in share of spending in federal budget, between 2021 and 2025, Russian Federation

Guardian graphic. Source: 2025 figures taken from How resilient is Russia's economy after four years of war?, Marek Dabrowski, Dec 2025. 2021 figures taken from Russan ministry of finance. Figures for both years represent planned spending

🟩 They dared the impossible

"Those who have advocated for pressuring Ukraine to [...] accept painful territorial losses like to repeat that Ukraine simply cannot win the war against Russia; thinking this way is madness. It is true, but I see precisely in this the greatness of Ukrainian resistance: they dared the impossible [...], and the least we owe them is full support."

— Slavoj Žižek, Marxist philosopher
"Too Late to Awaken"

🟥 Militarizing kids: cadet programs grow in occupied Ukraine

The Russian Investigative Committee (Sledkom) is expanding its network of specialized cadet classes in occupied Ukrainian schools to prepare children for service in Russia’s militarized agencies.

🟥 Militarized education

• As of February 2026, 13 Investigative Committee (Sledkom) cadet classes are already operating in occupied Kherson oblast.
• Cadet classes have been established in Henichesk, Chaplynka, Novotroitske and Skadovsk.
• Sledkom claims the programs foster early interest in legal professions and promote “patriotism” and “readiness to serve the Russian state”.

🟥 Long-term pattern of indoctrination

• Sledkom has militarized and indoctrinated Ukrainian children since the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
• Russian law enforcement (Sledkom, Rosgvardia) actively normalizes military ideals in occupied schools.
• Sledkom has participated in deporting Ukrainian children to Russia and placing them in military training programs.
• This is a part of Russia's policy to alter the ethnic profile of the occupied regions.

[Source: ISW]

🟥 Militarizing kids: cadet programs grow in occupied Ukraine

The Russian Investigative Committee (Sledkom) is expanding its network of specialized cadet classes in occupied Ukrainian schools to prepare children for service in Russia’s militarized agencies.

🟩 Palestine is the second largest importer of Ukrainian flour

Sales of flour to Palestine account for 20% of Ukraine’s total flour exports, making it the second-largest destination.

🟩 Ukrainian flour exports to Palestine

• From July 2025 to January 2026, Palestine purchased 7,300 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat flour.
• This represented 20% of Ukraine’s total flour exports — the second-highest share. Moldova ranks first (30%) and Czechia in third place (16%).
• In addition to commercial sales, in July 2024 Ukraine sent 1,000 tonnes of wheat flour to the Gaza Strip as part of the humanitarian initiative “Grain from Ukraine”.

[Source: APK-Inform]