Executive Summary

It's Wednesday, February 18th. At least 160 people were confirmed killed across seven active theaters on the 17th. Russia launched its largest combined strike in months, firing 29 missiles and 396 drones at Ukraine's energy grid and European power interconnections. Drone strikes in North Kordofan and West Kordofan, Sudan killed over 54 civilians including women and children sheltering in a veterinary facility. Coordinated TTP attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa killed 17 security personnel. Dual diplomatic tracks opened in Geneva: indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks and Russia-Ukraine-U.S. trilateral peace negotiations. Iran's IRGC partially closed the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire drills as the U.S. deployed over 50 fifth-generation fighters to the Persian Gulf. An Israeli drone strike in Sidon, Lebanon killed Hamas operations chief Mohammed Shaheen. U.S. forces destroyed three alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing 11.

U.S.-Iran nuclear talks open in Geneva as military buildup accelerates

The second round of indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks convened at Oman's embassy in Geneva on February 17, led by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner against Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi. After several hours, Araghchi announced agreement on "guiding principles," while U.S. VP Vance acknowledged "some progress" but said Iran remained unwilling to accept U.S. red lines. Core gaps persist: Washington demands enrichment dismantlement, missile range limits to 300 km, and an end to proxy support. Tehran insists discussions cover only the nuclear program and sanctions relief. The U.S. simultaneously deployed over 50 fifth-generation F-35 and F-22 fighters to bases in Jordan, Qatar, and Gulf states, while the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group was ordered to join the USS Abraham Lincoln already operating in the Arabian Sea.

IRGC partially closes Strait of Hormuz for live-fire drills

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps partially closed the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire naval exercises on February 17, affecting inbound shipping lanes of a waterway that handles roughly 13 million barrels per day of seaborne crude. The closure lasted several hours. IRGC Navy Commander Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri declared Iran's Persian Gulf islands "impregnable fortresses." Supreme Leader Khamenei denied nuclear peace conditions and declared Trump "won't be capable of deposing the Islamic Republic."

Israeli drone strike kills Hamas operations chief in Sidon

An Israeli drone struck a vehicle on Sidon's coastal corniche on February 17, killing Hamas operations chief Mohammed Shaheen ("Abu Al-Baraa") and one civilian. The IDF said Shaheen was "recently planning terror attacks directed and funded by Iran." The strike came one day before Israel's deadline to withdraw from five hilltop positions in southern Lebanon. Separately, the IDF destroyed a Radwan Force tunnel complex extending dozens of meters under Mount Dov. Lebanon's government announced the second phase of Hezbollah disarmament, a four-month timeline for weapons seizure between the Litani and Awali Rivers, which Hezbollah flatly rejected.

Hamas rejects disarmament ultimatum as Gaza crisis deepens

Hamas rejected a 60-day disarmament ultimatum from Israeli Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, calling the demand "without basis in ongoing negotiations" and refusing to unilaterally disarm absent Palestinian statehood. The humanitarian crisis continued in Gaza, where UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo reported over 300,000 families seeking housing with only 10 percent having basic accommodations. The cumulative toll since October 2023 stands at approximately 72,980 killed and 181,212 injured. Across Iran, mass 40th-day memorial protests for the January uprising's victims erupted in dozens of cities, with security forces reportedly firing live ammunition in Abdanan, Ilam Province, killing one 22-year-old man. The death is not independently confirmed.

Sources

CNN, CNBC, Times of Israel, Republic World, The Tribune India, Iran International, Al Jazeera, Alma Research Center, Just Security, Defense One, Israel Hayom, Wikipedia

Russia launches 425-weapon barrage targeting Ukraine's European power links

Russia launched a massive combined strike comprising 29 missiles and 396 drones overnight into February 17, among the largest single attacks of the war. The strike package included 4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Rostov and Crimea, 20 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea, 4 Iskander-K cruise missiles from Kursk, and approximately 250 Shahed-type drones from at least seven launch sites. Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 25 of 29 missiles and 367 of 396 drones. The strategic intent was clear: Russia targeted Ukraine's electricity import capacity from Europe. Key infrastructure hit included the Burshtyn Thermal Power Plant in Ivano-Frankivsk, a gas storage facility near Stryi, the 750 kV "Zakhidnoukrainska" substation controlling power flows from Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, and a 330 kV substation in Odesa managing Romanian power imports.

Civilian casualties mount as drone strikes kill power plant workers

A Russian FPV drone killed 3 Sloviansk Thermal Power Plant engineers traveling in a civilian vehicle near Mykolaivka, Donetsk Oblast. In Sumy Oblast, three drones struck residential buildings in Kyrykivka at 3:10 AM, killing a 68-year-old woman and injuring six people including two children aged 7 and 15. Across Kherson Oblast, six people were wounded by shelling targeting five districts. The Ukrainian General Staff reported 201 combat clashes across frontlines, with Ukraine reporting 890 Russian losses in 24 hours. Russia's cumulative losses since February 2022 stand at approximately 1,255,340 per Ukrainian estimates. Neither side's casualty figures are independently verifiable.

Ukrainian deep strikes hit chemical plant, oil refinery, and Crimean missile site

SBU Alpha Special Operations Center drones hit the Metafrax Chemicals plant in Perm Krai, one of Russia's largest explosives producers. The Ilsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai, processing 6.42 million tons annually and supplying Russian troops, erupted in a 700-square-meter fire. Ukrainian Special Operations Forces struck an Iskander missile storage site near Pasichne in occupied Crimea using FP-2 drones, triggering large fires. Sevastopol endured what Russian-installed authorities called "one of the most prolonged attacks," with 24 UAVs shot down and powerful explosions rocking Belbek airfield. Near St. Petersburg, an explosion at the Sertolovo military facility killed at least 3 servicemen at a military police building, collapsing two floors. The cause remains under investigation.

Trilateral peace talks open in Geneva amid escalation

Trilateral peace talks opened in Geneva with Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky, Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov, and U.S. envoy Witkoff sitting down for approximately five hours of discussions described as "very tense." Representatives of Italy, Germany, France, and the UK were present as observers, with a British delegation "unexpectedly arriving." No breakthroughs emerged on Day 1.

Sources

RBC-Ukraine, Ukrinform, Kyiv Independent, Pravda, Global Security, South Front, Ukraine Today, CNN, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya

U.S. forces destroy three alleged drug boats, killing 11

U.S. Southern Command destroyed three alleged drug-trafficking speedboats on February 17 — two in the Eastern Pacific and one in the Caribbean — killing 11 people in what were the 40th through 42nd strikes under Operation Southern Spear since September 2025. The cumulative death toll from these strikes has reached approximately 144 people killed across 42 operations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted that "President's Day — under President Trump — is not a good day to run drugs." The UN Special Rapporteur has called the strikes illegal, and reporting has suggested rescue operations for survivors may not be occurring as described. No group names were specified for the vessel operators, who were described only as "Designated Terrorist Organizations."

Colombia and Gulf Clan announce resumption of peace talks

The Colombian government and the Gaitanist Self-Defence Forces (ECG/Gulf Clan) — approximately 9,000 fighters strong and designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. in December 2025 — jointly announced on February 17 they had "overcome" hurdles that caused the cartel to suspend peace talks earlier in February. The suspension followed President Petro's agreement with Trump to prioritize three "kingpins" as high-value targets. Talks will continue in Doha, mediated by the Catholic Church and the governments of Qatar, Spain, Norway, and Switzerland.

Haiti carnival cut short by violence

Haiti's security crisis persisted as violence forced the early cancellation of Pétion-Ville's Carnival after two people were shot and stabbed on opening day February 15. The event was called off "for public safety reasons" after the incidents, which occurred in the wealthier suburb of Port-au-Prince. Gang violence continues to paralyze much of the capital region.

Sources

USNI News, The Hill, Stars and Stripes, Al Jazeera, The Haitian Times, Foreign Exchanges, Havana Times

Sudan drone strikes kill 54+ civilians across Kordofan in 48-hour span

Aerial bombardment killed over 54 civilians across Kordofan and Darfur in a devastating 48-hour period. On February 17, a drone believed to belong to the Sudanese Armed Forces struck a veterinary facility in El Sunut, West Kordofan, being used as a shelter for displaced families, killing at least 26 people including 9 women and 12 children shortly after midnight. Hours earlier on February 16 evening, drones struck a crowded market in al-Safiya, North Kordofan, killing at least 28 people, as documented by the Emergency Lawyers monitoring group. Additional SAF operations in Abu Zabad targeted RSF air defense systems, while RSF drones struck multiple sites in El Obeid. A drone strike near El Geneina in West Darfur killed dozens more, described by the local civil administration head as "a dangerous escalation."

Burkina Faso reeling from JNIM coordinated assault wave

Burkina Faso continued to absorb losses from a coordinated wave of JNIM jihadist attacks on military bases that began February 14. The most dramatic assault targeted Titao in Loroum Province, where several hundred JNIM fighters split into three groups: one stormed the military camp and seized weapons, another destroyed telecommunications infrastructure isolating the town, and a third raided the market and set supply trucks ablaze. JNIM claimed responsibility on February 16, asserting it killed dozens of Burkinabè soldiers. AFP confirmed at least 10 killed across attacks in Titao, Tandjari, Bilanga, and Naré, though unverified social media claims suggest 60+ soldiers killed at Kombadugu alone — a figure the Burkinabè junta's information blackout makes impossible to verify.

AFRICOM airstrikes in Somalia, U.S. troops arrive in Nigeria

U.S. AFRICOM announced three airstrikes conducted February 14–15 against al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia, with Somali defense officials reporting 15 al-Shabaab fighters killed, bringing the 2026 U.S. airstrike total in Somalia to at least 34. An initial contingent of approximately 100 American military personnel arrived in Nigeria for non-combat advisory roles, following December 2025 Tomahawk strikes against Islamic State Sahel Province camps in Sokoto State.

DRC ceasefire looms as Ethiopia-Tigray and South Sudan crises deepen

Fighting continued around Minembwe in South Kivu on the eve of an Angolan-proposed ceasefire set for February 18. FARDC forces backed by local Wazalendo militias and Burundian troops clashed with M23-aligned Twirwaneho fighters. M23 denounced the ceasefire terms as "delaying tactics and attempts at manipulation." Ethiopia's military buildup near Tigray accelerated while anti-government Fano militias exploited troop redeployments to capture Debre-Tabor in Amhara. South Sudan's renewed civil war, active across 8 of 10 states, displaced 230,000+ people in Jonglei alone since late December.

Sources

Dabanga Radio, Sudan Tribune, Xinhua, The Media Line, Gulf News, GhanaWeb, Africa-Press, Antiwar.com, Business Tech Africa, Critical Threats, Crisis Group, Rio Times

Myanmar burns on a dozen fronts as civil war rages through Chinese New Year

Myanmar's civil war generated the theater's most intense activity on February 17, which was also Chinese New Year. In Karenni (Kayah) State, resistance forces ran low on ammunition and were unable to maintain a siege on a junta base outside Hpasawng Township, though the KNDF reported fighting was still ongoing. The junta's Division 66 burned over 100 homes in Nattalin Township, Bago Region, in a scorched-earth campaign near weapons factories, with 300 troops advancing east of the Yangon-Pyay Highway. In Mandalay Region, over 50 homes were torched in Pekhinkyaw Village, Taungthar Township. The "Yangon Army" detonated two mines at Mingaladone Myoma Police Station, targeting soldiers. NUG-aligned People's Defence Force battalions raided Burma National Revolutionary Army camps in Pale Township, Sagaing Region, killing 10 BNRA members. The Kachin Independence Army rejected one-on-one peace talks with the junta, declaring it had destroyed a radar system at Myitkyina Air Base.

China conducts combat readiness patrols in South China Sea

China's PLA Southern Theater Command announced on February 17 that it had conducted naval and air combat readiness patrols in the South China Sea on February 15–16, directly responding to joint Philippines-U.S.-Australia patrols. The spokesperson warned that allied patrols "undermined peace and stability."

Cambodia accuses Thailand of occupying territory despite ceasefire

Cambodia's PM Hun Manet escalated a diplomatic confrontation with Thailand, telling Reuters that Thai forces are "occupying deep into Cambodian territory" despite the December 27 ceasefire, with troops laying shipping containers and barbed wire inside disputed areas. The 2025 Cambodia-Thailand border conflict killed over 100 people and displaced 500,000+, with approximately 98,000 still displaced.

Sources

Mizzima, Myanmar Now, MoeMaKa, The Irrawaddy, CP24, CSIS, Dragon Media, The Diplomat, Rio Times, ACLED

Coordinated TTP attacks kill 17 security personnel across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A coordinated wave of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan attacks struck across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on February 17. The deadliest hit overnight in Bajaur district, where a suicide bomber backed by gunmen rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a joint security forces checkpoint's perimeter wall. The blast collapsed part of the compound and damaged nearby civilian homes, killing 11 security personnel and a young girl while wounding 7 civilians. Security forces eliminated 12 fleeing militants. Pakistan's ISPR labeled the attackers "Khwarij belonging to Indian Proxy, Fitna al Khwarij."

Police station bomb and Bannu blast extend violence across multiple districts

At approximately 1:30 AM on February 17, armed men attacked Yark Police Station and an adjacent customs camp in Dera Ismail Khan, killing a police constable and a customs official, wounding three others, and leaving one customs official missing. A motorcycle bomb detonated at a Bannu police station, killing 2 and wounding 17. In Khyber district, a joint counter-terrorism operation in the mountainous Kabal Gram area killed ringleader Noor Islam (carrying a Rs5 million bounty) and two other militants, though 3 police personnel were also killed when one attacker self-detonated. Combined Pakistani casualties for the day: approximately 17 security personnel killed, 24+ wounded, and 15+ militants eliminated.

Afghanistan releases captured Pakistani soldiers in de-escalatory gesture

In a significant de-escalatory development, Afghanistan's Taliban government released three Pakistani soldiers captured during October 2025 border fighting. The handover, facilitated by a Saudi delegation that traveled to Kabul, was framed as a Ramadan gesture. Relations remain strained following deadly border clashes that killed dozens on both sides. In Farah Province, Afghanistan, an unexploded ordnance detonated inside a residential house, killing 2 civilians. The Balochistan Liberation Army's February 15 ultimatum threatening to execute 7 captured Pakistani soldiers unless Baloch prisoners are released continued to loom, with a deadline of February 22.

Sources

Al Jazeera, The Nation, Shafaqna Pakistan, Gulf News, Kathmandu Post, Organiser Weekly, Las Vegas Sun, Social News XYZ, Foreign Exchanges

Russia's APT28 weaponizes Microsoft Office vulnerability within days of patch

The most significant active cyber campaign involved Russia's APT28 (Fancy Bear) exploiting CVE-2026-21509, a Microsoft Office vulnerability weaponized just three days after Microsoft's emergency patch. APT28 targeted maritime, transport, and diplomatic entities across Central and Eastern Europe — including Poland, Slovenia, Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, and Romania — using phishing emails from compromised government accounts to deliver MiniDoor email-stealing malware and Covenant backdoors. Lures included NATO invitations and weapons-smuggling alerts. Hackmanac's weekly tracker recorded 329 cyberattacks across 56 countries for the February 11–17 period.

CISA adds four actively exploited vulnerabilities to KEV catalog

CISA added four actively exploited vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, including a Chrome zero-day (CVE-2026-2441, CVSS 8.8) and a critical Zimbra SSRF flaw. A separate critical campaign involved active exploitation of BeyondTrust CVE-2026-1731, a pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability in remote access tools exploited within hours of proof-of-concept release. Microsoft's February 2026 Patch Tuesday had addressed six actively exploited zero-days.

North Korea deploys deepfake video interviews targeting crypto firms

North Korea's Lazarus Group continued dual-track operations: malicious npm/PyPI packages linked to fake recruitment campaigns targeted software developers, while UNC1069 deployed AI-generated deepfake video interviews targeting cryptocurrency firms with realistic LinkedIn profiles. An Iran-linked cyber espionage campaign was reported targeting dissident researchers using malware disguised as reports about the recent Iranian protests. Polish authorities arrested a 47-year-old man linked to the Phobos ransomware-as-a-service operation. The Dragos 2025 OT Threat Landscape Report, released February 17, identified three new operational technology threat groups and flagged control loop mapping as a new escalation in adversary intent toward real-world physical disruption of industrial systems.

Sources

Dark Reading, SecurityWeek, The Record, Malwarebytes, The Hacker News, Cyware, Security Affairs, Industrial Cyber, FireCompass, Cryptopolitan