On-Going Wars and Global Flashpoints

Russia-Ukraine

• The roots go back to February 2014. Russia then took Crimea and fighting began in Donbas.
• The full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022. It is the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
• Russia holds about 20% of Ukraine’s land. This includes Crimea and parts of four south-eastern regions.
• Casualty counts are only estimates. Reports say hundreds of thousands.
• Russia has repeatedly refused calls for a ceasefire. US-led talks, including rounds in Abu Dhabi, have not produced a deal. (Source: Wikipedia: Russo-Ukrainian war)

Sudan

• Fighting began on 15 April 2023. It pits the army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the RSF under Hemedti.
• Estimates of the dead run from 150,000 to 400,000. The numbers are uncertain.
• More than 14 million people are displaced. About 4.5 million of them fled abroad.
• Famine has been confirmed in several regions. About 25 million face severe hunger.
• The city of El Fasher fell to the RSF on 26 October 2025. Mass killings followed.
• The 2023 Jeddah talks, backed by Saudi Arabia and the US, did not bring a lasting ceasefire. (Source: Wikipedia: Sudanese civil war)

Gaza: ceasefire without peace

• A 20-point peace plan was announced on 29 September 2025. It was signed on 9 October, and the ceasefire began on 10 October.
• On 13 October, Hamas freed the 20 living hostages. Israel began releasing Palestinian prisoners.
• Israeli forces pulled back to an agreed “Yellow Line”.
• UN Security Council Resolution 2803 endorsed the plan on 17 November 2025.
• A Board of Peace, headed by Donald Trump, oversees rebuilding. A temporary International Stabilization Force is to keep security.
• Phase two was announced on 14 January 2026. Talks then stalled over disarmament.
• Israel says it will not move ahead without disarmament. Hamas says Israel must first finish phase one.
• On 6 July 2026, Hamas announced the resignation of its civil administration in Gaza. (Source: Wikipedia: Gaza peace plan)

The 2026 Iran war

• It began on 28 February 2026, with US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
• Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in late March.
• A ceasefire began on 8 April. The Islamabad Memorandum was signed on 17 June.
• The ceasefire collapsed on 8 July after Iran attacked ships in the strait.
• The war caused the largest oil supply disruption in recent history. India joined evacuation operations. (Source: Wikipedia: 2026 Iran war)
• Details are changing fast. Re-check before the exam.

Other flashpoints

• Yemen is a major war. Houthi attacks affect Red Sea shipping.
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo faces the M23 rebellion in the east.
• Myanmar is listed as a major war, with several insurgencies.
• Syria remains a minor war, with spillover from regional fighting.
• Wikipedia’s 2026 list shows 8 major wars (10,000+ deaths) and 13 minor wars. (Source: Wikipedia: List of ongoing armed conflicts)

Trap: loud wars and quiet wars

• Sudan has a huge human toll. It gets far less world attention than Gaza or Ukraine.
• Mediation is now shared. Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US all worked on Gaza.
• Earlier decades relied more on one big power as broker.
• Related background: IntlRel0127 — Famine and Conflict: Yemen and South Sudan.

Hormuz, oil and evacuations

• India imports most of its crude oil. A blocked Hormuz hits fuel prices and trade.
• India joined evacuation operations during the Iran war.
• On Ukraine, India has called for dialogue and diplomacy.
• Related: IntlRel0088 — NATO and WorldGeo0041 — Ukraine.