Russia attempts full block of WhatsApp, affecting over 100 million users – Meta’s WhatsApp reported a Russian government effort to block the app on Feb 11; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the restriction stems from Meta’s refusal to obey Russian law and will be lifted only upon compliance [1][3].
Roskomnadzor removes dozens of Western sites from the state‑run DNS – Opposition outlets say the agency stripped WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tor, BBC, RFE/RL, Deutsche Welle, Moscow Times, VPNs and other services from Russia’s National Domain Name System, forcing traffic through state‑controlled DNS; only WhatsApp web is blocked while the mobile app still works, and users can bypass by changing DNS [4][5][6].
Ukrainian forces conduct localized counter‑attacks near the Dnipropetrovsk‑Zaporizhia border – Geolocated footage shows Russian strikes on static positions east of the Haichur River; analysts say Ukraine is exploiting recent Starlink terminal blocks and Telegram throttling, with a senior NATO official crediting SpaceX’s Starlink restrictions for recent Ukrainian gains [9][13][14][15].
Ukraine hits Russian military and industrial targets with FP‑5 Flamingo missiles and drones – The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed strikes on the GRAU ammunition depot near Kotluban (Volgograd Oblast), the Ukhta Oil Refinery in the Komi Republic, and the Michurinsk Progress Plant, all causing fires and secondary detonations; Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov acknowledged the MoD facility fire [16][19][21][23].
2025 recorded as the deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since 2022 – Conflict Intelligence Team reported 2,919 civilian deaths and 17,775 injuries in 2025, a 12 % rise in fatalities; drone strikes accounted for the majority of casualties, and Russian forces employed FPV “human safari” tactics to weaponize civilian harm [24][26][27].
UK and Netherlands pledge fresh military aid for Ukraine’s air defence – UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced a £540 million package, including £150 million for the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List and £390 million for 1,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles; Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said the Netherlands will send F‑16 flight simulators to accelerate pilot training [28][31].