Dear War Notes readers,
This is Asami Terajima writing this week’s edition of War Notes from my desk at our Kyiv office. It has still been very cold in Kyiv, but today is much warmer than the past few days, and maybe spring is not so far away.
I came home one night this week after dinner and saw an unsheltered man on the stairs of my apartment building. I felt very bad because it was extremely cold outside, and it seemed like he was struggling to even move, and all he could do was sit in silence, staring at the wall. I brought him some food and warm tea, and I hope that made his day better.
We had a missile and drone attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, Feb. 12. Local authorities reported damage in residential areas, and two people were injured. I was on attack coverage duty that day, so I headed out to one of the attack sites, where several apartment buildings were damaged, and windows had been blown out.
Although I go to attack sites regularly for work, this time, the local residents and social services seemed well organized. People whose windows were blown out were lining up to receive thin sheets of wood to cover up the damage. The local residents were discussing what they had heard the night before and sharing their experiences, and perhaps it brought them comfort to know they are not alone.
I spoke to a few elderly women living in the apartment buildings that were damaged. They said they had not had heating since a Russian missile attack hit a thermal power plant nearby in early February. Especially after the Feb. 12 overnight strike that blew off their window glass, the temperature inside the apartment was around 7 to 8 degrees Celsius (44 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the residents. They said they wear thick layers of sweaters inside to keep themselves warm as temperatures outside plunged.
Ukraine's air defense capabilities, even in major cities like Kyiv, are being exhausted.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told journalists on Feb. 12 that Ukraine is set to receive 35 interceptor missiles for the U.S.-produced Patriot air defense systems soon from allies, but that's nowhere near enough. Patriot interceptor missiles are especially crucial because they can intercept ballistic missiles, which Russia has often used in attacks against Ukraine.
In other news, South Korean media reported this week that about 11,000 North Korean troops were deployed in Russia's Kursk Oblast as of early 2026 to support its war against Ukraine. Citing South Korean intelligence, Yonhap news agency reported that about 10,000 North Korean combat troops and 1,000 engineer troops were stationed in Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion in August 2024 and held territory until March 2025.
It is unclear how Russia plans to use the North Korean troops, and whether it would deploy them for fighting in the adjacent Sumy Oblast, where Russia opened a new front in June 2025, taking advantage of Ukraine's exhausted troops who took heavy casualties while holding a patch of land in Kursk Oblast.
It is also concerning that North Korean troops are gaining experience in modern warfare, learning how to counter drone attacks and push forward. Ukrainian soldiers I interviewed who have fought against North Korean troops in Kursk Oblast described them as disciplined despite lacking experience in modern warfare and being especially vulnerable to drones.
A heartbreaking Russian attack from this week that I would like to draw attention to is one that killed three toddlers in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast.
A family of five in the town of Bohodukhiv, an hour's drive away from Kharkiv, lived in a residential building struck by Russian Geran-2 drones on Feb. 10. The strike killed four people — the father and his kids — and injured two, including the mother, who was pregant, according to Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office. The children killed were two boys aged two and a one-year-old girl.
On that note, I would like to wrap up this week's War Notes.
Please consider supporting independent journalism from Ukraine by becoming a member of the Kyiv Independent.
Best,
Asami
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