Major Military Escalation: Russian Missiles Strike Kyiv as Ukrainian Drones Hit Deep Inside Russia

The early hours of Thursday, February 12, 2026, witnessed one of the most intense military escalations in months. Russian forces launched a massive ballistic missile strike targeting the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and the city of Dnipro, while Ukraine retaliated with strikes on military facilities deep inside Russian territory.

📉 Field Report: Reciprocal Strikes and Fires in Volgograd • The Capital, Kyiv: Subjected to a "massive" ballistic missile attack targeting infrastructure and residential areas. Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that the assault continued into the early morning, urging residents to remain in shelters as air raid alerts persisted.

• Inside Russia: Moscow reported a large fire at a Ministry of Defense facility in the Volgograd region (near the village of Kotluban) following a Ukrainian drone attack. Nearby villages were evacuated due to the risk of explosions. Additionally, another attack targeted the "Progress" factory in the Tambov region.

🕊️ Political Track: Negotiations Under Fire

This escalation comes at a sensitive time during strained diplomatic efforts:

• Abu Dhabi Talks: A second round of US-mediated negotiations has begun in the UAE. Despite a successful prisoner swap last week, both sides are trading accusations of attempting to undermine peace prospects through military escalation.

• Zelenskyy’s Demands: The Ukrainian President has called for a definitive timeline for Ukraine's accession to the European Union as an integral part of any future peace agreement.

📊 Human Toll (UN Report) The latest report from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) revealed staggering figures:

• 15,000 Ukrainian civilians killed since the invasion began in 2022.

• 2025 was the deadliest year of the conflict so far, with over 2,500 civilians killed in that year alone.

The situation remains critical over the Ukrainian capital as air raid sirens continue to sound.

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