Toplines The fifth year of Russia’s invasion is not beginning well for Moscow. Recent Ukrainian successes on the battlefield disprove Russian claims that things can only get worse for Ukraine the longer Kyiv delays surrendering to Russian demands. Battlefield realities as of late February 2026 show that continued significant Russian …

Toplines Iran is continuing to prepare for a potential military conflict with the United States. Several unspecified Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces units held an exercise on February 24 at the Madinah ol Munawarah Operational Base in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, and on unspecified Persian Gulf islands.[1] Madinah …

The commander of Internal Security in Latakia governorate, Brig. Gen. Abdul Aziz Hilal al-Ahmad, confirmed the killing of the leader of “Saraya al-Jawad,” Bashar Abdullah Abu Raqiya, along with two of the group’s commanders, during a security operation on the Syrian coast. According to a statement published by the Ministry …