Verified conflict news from dozens of credible sources. No speculation, no spin. Just the facts across 7 theaters of operation.
It's Monday, February 23rd. On the 22nd, The Mexican military killed CJNG founder Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho") during a military operation in Jalisco, triggering retaliatory cartel violence across at least ten Mexican states, airport shutdowns, and shelter-in-place orders for US and Canadian citizens. Russia launched 345 missiles and drones against Ukraine's energy infrastructure in one of the largest combined aerial strikes of 2026, while Ukraine shut down all four Moscow airports with a mass drone attack and the Flamingo cruise missile strike on Russia's Votkinsk Plant was confirmed. ISIS declared a "new phase" of war against Syria's transitional government, killing three Ministry of Defense members. Pakistan launched cross-border airstrikes against seven TTP and ISKP camps across three Afghan provinces, claiming 80+ militants killed, while civilian casualties including 16 members of a single family were reported.
The RSF launched a large-scale assault on Sudan's El Tina border crossing with fighting spilling into Chad, and the Angola-proposed ceasefire in the DRC collapsed entirely as M23 and Wazalendo forces clashed in South Kivu. Kim Jong Un was re-elected as Workers' Party General Secretary at North Korea's Ninth Congress, with several senior figures purged from the Central Committee. The AUKUS pact reached a milestone as HMS Anson arrived in Western Australia for the first-ever UK submarine maintenance in Australia. The UMMC ransomware attack entered its fourth day with all 35 clinics statewide closed and the FBI surging resources, while the Conduent data breach was revealed to affect upwards of 25 million Americans.
Israeli forces shot and killed 27-year-old Basma Aram Banat in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on February 22. The Gaza Ministry of Health's 24-hour report recorded two killed and three injured, bringing cumulative casualties since October 7, 2023 to 72,072 killed and 171,741 injured. Separately, a child named Nidal Abu Rabee' died after Israeli authorities repeatedly denied medical evacuation permits. Israeli quadcopter drones dropped gas canisters on homes near Al-Shifa Hospital to force families southward, while naval forces fired on fishermen off the Gaza City coast. The death toll since the October 11, 2025 ceasefire stood at 614 Palestinians killed and over 1,640 wounded. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza posted a job listing for a new Palestinian police force, drawing 2,000 applications within hours.
Mohammad Wahbi Abdel Aziz Hanani, 17, died from a gunshot wound to the head sustained during an Israeli military incursion into Beit Furik, east of Nablus. A 14-year-old and a 16-year-old were also shot with live ammunition, and a 20-year-old was hospitalized in serious condition. The IDF stated soldiers identified two individuals approaching with an explosive device and fired in response. In Hebron, settlers from the Harchivi Mekom Ohalech association continued to consolidate their seizure of five Palestinian-owned buildings, declaring a new settlement near the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Peace Now called for immediate eviction, stating the settlement was "illegal in every way." Across the West Bank, Israeli forces conducted raids in the Tulkarm area, and settlers stormed Al-Mazra'a Al-Sharqiya near Ramallah. At least 1,117 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank since October 7, 2023.
ISIS claimed responsibility for two attacks in Syria on February 22 that killed three members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, one in al-Mayadin, Deir Ezzor province, and two in northern Raqqa countryside. The attacks followed a 35-minute audio message by ISIS spokesperson Abu Hudhayfah al-Ansari declaring a "new phase" of operations and branding Ahmad al-Sharaa's administration as "secular." ISIS had claimed 136 attacks in Syria throughout 2025. Separately, Syria's transitional government achieved a milestone as its Interior Ministry assumed full control of Qamishli International Airport in Hasakah province, the first time the central government controlled the airport in over a decade.
Anti-government student protests swept at least eight universities across Tehran and Mashhad on February 22 for a second consecutive day. Slogans included "Death to the dictator" and "Woman, life, freedom." AFP-verified footage showed clashes between protesters and pro-government Basij forces at Amirkabir University. HRANA estimated at least 7,015 people had been killed in the January crackdown. Oman confirmed a third round of US-Iran nuclear talks for Geneva on February 26. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared on CBS defending enrichment rights and warning that if the US attacks, "we have to hit the Americans' bases in the region." A Reuters exclusive revealed Iran was "seriously considering" exporting part of its enriched uranium stockpile and establishing a regional enrichment consortium in exchange for recognition of its peaceful enrichment rights.
The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group sailed through the Mediterranean on February 22, establishing a dual-carrier posture with the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. The combined force comprised over 16 warships, 120+ combat aircraft, and at least 85 aerial refueling tankers, with THAAD and Patriot air defense systems deployed alongside 30,000 to 40,000 US troops. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE stated they would not participate in military operations against Iran. In a rare display of pan-Islamic diplomatic unity, 14 countries and three regional organizations condemned US Ambassador Mike Huckabee's remarks endorsing Israeli control of the broader Middle East. In Sudan, an RSF drone targeted tribal leader Musa Hilal in North Darfur, who survived the assassination attempt. No CENTCOM operations against Yemen were reported, though Houthi troop mobilizations continued.
Sources
IMEMC, Al Jazeera, Times of Israel, Anadolu Agency, Haaretz, Peace Now, Euronews, Press TV, The National, Enab Baladi, SANA, NPR, CNN, NCRI, CBS News, Axios, PBS, Stars and Stripes, Gulf News, Sudan Tribune, OHCHR, Shafaq News, WAFA
Day 1,459 of Russia's full-scale invasion saw one of the largest combined aerial strikes of 2026, with Russia firing 50 missiles and 297 strike drones on the night of February 21-22 against Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The strike package included 4 Zircon anti-ship missiles, 22 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, 18 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and approximately 200 Shahed-type drones. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 307 of 345 targets (89% kill rate), but strikes damaged energy facilities in Odesa, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad oblasts. DTEK facilities suffered major damage. One person was killed in Kyiv Oblast's Fastiv district and 15 were injured. Four civilians, including a 17-year-old, were killed on February 21 when a Russian drone struck an ambulance in Sumy Oblast. A second wave on the night of February 22-23 killed 2 in Odesa and injured 3.
The Ukrainian General Staff recorded 130 combat engagements on February 22, with Russian forces deploying 8,990 kamikaze FPV drones, 244 KAB guided aerial bombs, and 3,331 shellings. Over half of all engagements were concentrated in two sectors: Huliaipole (27 engagements) in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Pokrovsk (26 engagements) in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian forces had liberated at least 168.9 square kilometers since January 1, with the UK Ministry of Defence confirming over 100 square kilometers retaken north of Huliaipole. Russian losses reported for February 22 totaled 890 personnel, 9 tanks, 41 artillery systems, and 1,705 tactical drones. Cumulative Russian losses reached approximately 1,259,780 personnel.
Ukraine conducted a significant deep-strike campaign on February 22, with dozens of drones targeting Moscow during the afternoon and evening. The attacks triggered the "Carpet" emergency plan, shutting down all four Moscow airports (Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky) for the first time since October 2024. Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles hit the Votkinsk Plant in Udmurtia, over 1,300 km from the border, damaging workshops involved in final assembly of Iskander, Oreshnik, and Yars ballistic missiles. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces also struck an oil depot in Russian-occupied Luhansk, destroyed two Russian Tor air defense systems in Donetsk Oblast (valued at over $50 million), and struck Russian vessels and aircraft in Crimea.
Two improvised explosive devices detonated near a shopping center in central Lviv, triggered as police responded to a staged break-in report. 23-year-old policewoman Viktoria Shpylka was killed and 25 were injured. A 33-year-old woman was detained while attempting to flee the country, reportedly acting under direction of a "curator" linked to Russian special services. President Zelensky called it a terrorist attack and stated Ukraine had intelligence that Russia intends to continue such actions. Hungary announced it would veto both the EU's 20th sanctions package against Russia and the €90 billion loan to Ukraine, demanding Ukraine resume Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. Preparations intensified for the February 24 fourth anniversary, with the Coalition of the Willing video conference and UN Security Council special session both scheduled.
NATO's Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise continued with Turkey's TCG Anadolu deploying toward Latvia under Operation Eastern Sentry. The LEAP initiative for mass-produced autonomous interceptor drones by 2027 was launched at the E5 defense ministerial in Kraków. Serbia's student-led protests continued through their 16th consecutive month, while in Bosnia, convicted separatist leader Milorad Dodik announced plans to return Dayton Agreement competencies to Republika Srpska. Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks continued through a US diplomatic push, with the core obstacle remaining Azerbaijan's demand for constitutional amendment. In Georgia, daily protests outside parliament continued for approximately the 452nd consecutive day. A Dutch intelligence assessment warned Russia was preparing for a prolonged confrontation with the West through cyberattacks, sabotage, and influence operations.
Sources
Al Jazeera, RBC-Ukraine, ZMINA, Kyiv Independent, Ukrinform, Mezha, RFE/RL, CNN, UNN, Critical Threats/ISW, Euronews, Interfax-Ukraine, Daily Sabah, Naval News, Defence Industry Europe, Balkan Insight, The Record, Uavarta
The Mexican Army killed CJNG founder Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes ("El Mencho") during a military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, on February 22. Seven CJNG members were killed, three military personnel were wounded, and two suspects were arrested. The killing triggered immediate retaliatory violence across at least ten states, with CJNG operatives torching vehicles and buses, setting fire to a Costco and gas station in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, and engaging in shootouts with security forces. Six National Guard members were killed in Zapopan, a jail guard was killed during a prisoner riot in Puerto Vallarta, and a Jalisco state prosecutor's agent was also killed. Puerto Vallarta's airport suspended international flights. The US State Department issued shelter-in-place orders across nine or more states, while Canada issued separate advisories.
On February 22, eight days into a partial government shutdown, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem initially announced the suspension of TSA PreCheck (affecting over 20 million travelers), then reversed the decision within hours after travel industry backlash. The suspension of CBP Global Entry, affecting 12 million or more members, remained in effect. CISA remained at approximately 38% capacity. A major nor'easter struck the Northeast, prompting emergency declarations in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, while FEMA operated at reduced capacity. The Secret Service confirmed "minimal disruptions" to protective operations. Senators worked toward a bipartisan deal to restore funding.
Colombia's ELN guerrilla group announced a new armed strike (paro armado) set to begin February 23 across five departments: Arauca, Norte de Santander, Boyacá, Casanare, and Vichada. The group warned civilian transportation and commerce would be restricted. Peace talks between the Petro government and the ELN remained suspended. In Cuba, reports emerged of ongoing reprisals against inmates following the Canaleta prison riot, with at least seven confirmed dead. Family members reported continued beatings and food deprivation. Guatemala maintained Plan Sentinel military-police sweeps under its state of prevention. No new Operation Southern Spear strikes were confirmed on February 22, though the cumulative total remained at 43 strikes and approximately 148 killed since September 2.
Sources
NBC News, CNN, U.S. Embassy in Mexico, CP24, DHS, NPR, Fox News, U.S. Embassy Bogota, InSight Crime, France 24, Al Jazeera, PBS NewsHour, CiberCuba, SecurityWeek, OHCHR
The RSF launched a large-scale assault on El Tina, a border town in North Darfur on the Sudan-Chad frontier, with drone support beginning Saturday evening and continuing through Sunday. The SAF and allied Joint Forces (JEM and Sudan Liberation Movement) launched a counter-offensive, claiming to have repelled the assault and destroying several RSF combat vehicles. El Tina is one of the last three SAF/Joint Force strongholds in all of Darfur. RSF fighters reportedly crossed into Chadian territory, clashing with Chadian forces and killing several soldiers, the second such border violation in two months. Sudan's Foreign Ministry separately condemned Uganda for hosting RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti"), who met President Museveni days after the UN declared RSF atrocities in El Fasher bore the hallmarks of genocide.
The Angola-proposed ceasefire in the DRC, nominally effective since February 18, was completely non-functional by February 22. Armed clashes occurred in Lemera, Uvira territory, South Kivu, with Congolese-aligned Wazalendo forces fighting M23-backed Twirwaneho fighters across the highlands. At least 15,000 people were displaced from Lemera alone since February 17. The FARDC accused M23 of attacking positions with Rwandan special forces participation. M23 coordinator Corneille Nangaa rejected the ceasefire entirely, committing only to the Doha process. Three overlapping mediation tracks (Angolan, Doha, and ICJ proceedings) created diplomatic confusion, with none producing a functional ceasefire.
JNIM militants attacked a military post near Saye village in Mali's Djenne district on February 22, and Burkinabe forces lost 10 soldiers across two posts in attacks attributed to JNIM affiliates. Militants attacked a road construction site in Niger's Tillaberi region. Nigerian troops from the 1st Division foiled a Lakurawa market raid in Kebbi State, while bandits killed seven people in Plateau State. Somalia's government announced al-Shabaab was experiencing its worst financial strain in seven years. The Ethiopia-Eritrea standoff intensified with major international reporting from Tigray on troop buildups. South Sudan's civil conflict in Jonglei continued with over 280,000 displaced and humanitarian access under restriction.
Sources
Dabanga Radio, Darfur24, Anadolu Agency, Sudan Tribune, Al Jazeera, Africanews, The Defense Post, Critical Threats Project, Pravda Mali, Pravda Burkina Faso, Pravda Niger, Daily Post Nigeria, Crisis Group, Ethiopia Observer, OCHA, Xinhua
Kim Jong Un was unanimously re-elected as General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea on Day 4 of the Ninth Congress on February 22. The most significant signals came through personnel changes: removed from the Central Committee were Choe Ryong Hae (formerly the second most powerful figure), Marshals Pak Jong Chon and Ri Pyong Chol (nuclear program architects), and Kim Yong Chol and Ri Son Gwon (former diplomacy leads). Xi Jinping sent congratulations calling for a new chapter in China-DPRK relations. No missile tests occurred. In South Korea, protests continued following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's life sentence for insurrection.
The Royal Navy's Astute-class nuclear-powered submarine HMS Anson arrived at HMAS Stirling on February 22, marking the first-ever maintenance of a UK nuclear-powered submarine in Australia under AUKUS Pillar I. The arrival enabled combined testing including interoperability trials of Australia's Speartooth large uncrewed underwater vehicle and anti-submarine warfare AI algorithms on RAAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Days earlier, Australia's HMAS Toowoomba completed a Taiwan Strait transit that drew Chinese tracking operations. PLA activity around Taiwan dropped sharply over the weekend, with only 2 aircraft sorties and 6 PLAN vessels detected on February 22.
Myanmar's civil war continued across at least ten active fronts on February 22. The KIA conducted an FPV drone strike on a passenger aircraft at Myitkyina Airport, the first confirmed drone attack on a civilian aircraft at a major Myanmar airport. The Chin Brotherhood captured the last junta base in Falam. The Arakan Army maintained sustained operations across Rakhine, and fighting continued in northern Shan State, Mandalay Region, Sagaing Region, and Kayah State. The junta continued airstrikes, with Rakhine and Mandalay among the most heavily targeted regions. No new South China Sea confrontations were confirmed, and a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Sabah, Malaysia at extreme depth with no casualties reported.
Sources
Al Jazeera, France 24, ABC News, Dawn, Australian Department of Defence, Defence Industry Europe, The Japan Times, Taiwan MND, Myanmar Now, The Irrawaddy, MoeMaKa, Newsweek, Security Council Report
Pakistan Air Force jets struck seven TTP and ISKP camps across three Afghan provinces beginning around midnight on February 22, in the largest Pakistani cross-border military operation since October 2025. Strikes hit targets in Nangarhar Province (Behsud, Khogyani, and Ghani Khel districts), Paktika Province (Bermal and Urgun districts), and reportedly Khost Province. Reports indicate F-16 and JF-17 Thunder aircraft were deployed. Pakistan claimed 80+ militants killed, though the Afghan Red Crescent reported 18 killed and several wounded. The International Human Rights Foundation documented one strike on Girdi Kas village that killed 16 members of a single family, ranging from a one-year-old to an 80-year-old elder. Pakistan cited three provocations: the February 6 ISKP mosque bombing in Islamabad (31 killed), the February 16 Bajaur attack (11 soldiers killed), and the February 21 Bannu suicide bombing that killed Lt. Col. Shahzada Gul Faraz.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan's ambassador and delivered a formal protest note. The Afghan Defence Ministry condemned the strikes as a violation of territorial integrity and vowed a measured and appropriate response. In an unusual alignment, the National Resistance Front publicly endorsed the strikes, calling them a benefit for the region. India's External Affairs Ministry condemned the strikes as an attempt by Pakistan to externalize its internal failures. China called for restraint. The strikes tested the fragile architecture built through Qatar-mediated talks in October 2025 and failed Istanbul negotiations in November 2025.
Indian security forces killed three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants, including senior commander Saifullah, during Operation Trashi-I in the Passerkut area of Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir. Cross-border firing was confirmed along the Line of Control in Kupwara's Nowgam Sector. Pakistan security forces killed five militants in a separate Pishin District operation in Balochistan. In Manipur, three militant cadres from RPF/PLA, KCP(PWG), and UNLF were arrested. No armed conflict events were confirmed in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or the Central Asian republics.
Sources
Dawn, NPR, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, Republic World, Hamariweb, WION News, Kashmir Observer, Kashmir Dot Com, Daily Times Pakistan, ANI News, Daily Pioneer, Modern Diplomacy, PBS, Human Rights Watch
The University of Mississippi Medical Center, the state's only academic medical center and Level I trauma center, entered its fourth consecutive day offline on February 22 after a ransomware attack detected on February 19. All 35 clinic locations statewide remained closed, with surgeries and chemotherapy appointments cancelled. UMMC confirmed it was in contact with the attackers but did not disclose the ransomware group's identity. FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff confirmed the FBI was "surging resources, both locally and nationally." This was the fourth cyberattack to hit Mississippi hospital systems in three years and represents one of the broadest operational impacts from a single healthcare cyberattack in 2026.
A ransomware attack on government technology contractor Conduent was revealed on February 22 to be far larger than initially reported. The SafePay ransomware group's campaign compromised data belonging to at least 15.4 million Texas residents and 10.5 million Oregon residents, along with hundreds of thousands in Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Compromised data included Social Security numbers, medical records, and health insurance details. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called it potentially the largest data breach in US history. The UAE Cybersecurity Council separately disclosed thwarting AI-powered cyberattacks described as "terrorist in nature" targeting national digital infrastructure, noting the country faces 90,000 to 200,000 daily breach attempts.
CISA remained at approximately 38% capacity under the ongoing DHS shutdown. Two actively exploited Roundcube webmail vulnerabilities and the critical BeyondTrust CVE-2026-1731 flaw continued to be weaponized. A new NPM supply chain attack using steganography to deliver Pulsar RAT was disclosed. NASA confirmed the Artemis II crewed lunar mission would slip past its March 6 target due to a helium flow issue in the launch abort system. SpaceX set a reuse record with its Falcon 9 booster's 33rd flight, deploying 28 Starlink satellites. Boeing delivered the first Resilient Missile Warning satellite hardware for the Golden Dome missile defense architecture. Taipei's Grand Hotel disclosed a cyberattack with potential national security implications.
Sources
BleepingComputer, NPR, Mississippi Free Press, GovInfoSecurity, eSecurity Planet, Khaleej Times, The National, The Hacker News, SpaceNews, Spaceflight Now, Defense News, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Focus Taiwan, The Record, SecurityWeek