Countries Currently at War 2026

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “war” as “Armed conflict between nations, states, or rulers, or between groups in the same nation or state […], typically characterized by a campaign or series of campaigns conducted over a period of time.” Wars between—or more often, within—nations begin for a variety of reasons. Among these are economic or territorial gain, religion, nationalism, civil war, and political revolution. Often, countries’ leaders become primary motivators of conflict by instigating a territorial dispute, trying to control another country’s natural resources, or exercising authoritarian power over people. Countries subject to prolonged conflict can become war-torn countries that require many decades to rebuild their infrastructures, economies, and other functions.

Not all wars are formalized with official declarations of war between combatants. Conversely, not every ongoing armed conflict is classified as a war. This article uses the Uppsala Conflict Data Program definition, which describes war as a state-based conflict or dyad which reaches at least 1000 battle-related deaths in a specific calendar year. Fatality figures include any combatants killed in action as well as any civilians deliberately killed (for example, by bombings or other attacks).

The Instigation of the 2022 Russia/Ukraine Conflict

On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation began a military invasion of Ukraine, escalating a conflict that had been simmering since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. After officially recognizing the separatist Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk on February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on what he termed a “peacekeeping” mission, which escalated to a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

Early Military Action in the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict

The initial attacks were composed of missile volleys, soon followed by ground troops and armored units which entered Ukraine from both Russia and Belarus and appeared to be targeting Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev. By Feb. 24, 2022, Russian forces had taken control of the Chernobyl nuclear power facility. As of the evening of Feb. 25, 2022, Russian forces had also overtaken an airfield near Kyiv and were expected to take control of the city within days, if not hours.

However, those expectations did not materialize. The Ukrainian people, urged to resist by President Volodymyr Zelensky, fought with great conviction and effectiveness. The frozen ground began to thaw, creating muddy, boggy soil that limited the ability of tanks and other heavy armored vehicles. Russia also had great difficulty keeping supply lines running smoothly—a concern amplified by the fact that, according to some reports, Russia’s ground forces entered Ukraine carrying only a three-day supply of fuel. Many Russian tanks ran out of fuel and were abandoned. Moreover, reports came of Russian soldiers who chose to surrender rather than fire upon Ukrainians, whom they regarded as countrymen (because Ukraine is a former Soviet Republic). Together, these factors delayed what Russia reportedly planned to be a swift takeover.

As of Sept. 12, 2022, Kyiv still had not fallen. Conversely, as time passed, the war began to turn more and more in Ukraine’s favor. The United States and other allies offered significant military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine while also imposing all manner of trade boycotts and other economic and political penalties upon Russia. Morale among Russian troops continued to decrease, and Ukrainian counterattacks, particularly in early September, were successful in reclaiming large portions of territory previously occupied by Russia.

Military Developments in the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict

When Ukraine’s defense proved stronger than expected, Russia escalated its tactics—employing thermobaric weapons, hypersonic missiles, cluster munitions, and attacks on civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and evacuation corridors. Despite these escalations, Ukraine mounted counteroffensives beginning in March 2022 and reclaimed territory, including Makariv, west of Kyiv.

By May 5, 2022, over 5.5 million Ukrainians had fled the country, mostly to Poland, while millions more were displaced internally. UNICEF reported that “one out of every two” Ukrainian children had been displaced. Russia was also accused of forcibly deporting Ukrainians—including thousands of children—to Russia, with estimates suggesting more than 40,000 from Mariupol alone.

During March and April of 2022, the besieged city of Mariupol endured relentless bombardment. Russian forces bombed a theater marked “children,” shelled evacuation routes, and blocked humanitarian aid. Mass graves later uncovered in Bucha, alongside evidence of executions and torture, led multiple countries to accuse Russia of genocide. Around April 14, 2022, the Russian guided-missile cruiser Moskva sank in the Black Sea, a major symbolic loss for Moscow’s fleet.

By late March 2022, Russia began withdrawing from Kyiv and Chernihiv, conceding what had been a primary objective of the invasion. Though the front lines shifted east and south, the humanitarian devastation and evidence of widespread war crimes had already defined the war’s first year.

In 2023, the conflict deepened into a grinding war of attrition. Russian forces eventually captured Bakhmut in May 2023, after months of intense fighting, marking a symbolic but costly gain. Russia claimed full control of Bakhmut amid Ukrainian counterattacks on its flanks. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in mid-2023 focused on Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, recapturing several villages (such as Robotyne), though it failed to break major Russian defensive lines.

Throughout 2023 and into early 2024, both sides stabilized in many sectors. Russia mounted a winter offensive (2022-2023) that yielded minimal strategic gains despite heavy mobilization. By year’s end, the front lines were mostly static, and high-casualty engagements became the rule rather than the exception.

In 2024, Moscow renewed offensive pressure. Russian forces captured Avdiivka in February 2024, making it one of its first significant territorial gains since Bakhmut. This pushed Ukraine to consolidate new defensive lines farther west, including around Pokrovsk. Russian assaults also targeted smaller settlements in eastern Donetsk (e.g. Krasnohorivka, Ocheretyne) but made only marginal headway. Meanwhile, Ukraine struck back via missile and drone raids deep into Russian-held areas, including in Belgorod and Crimea. Analysts note that Russian forces struggled to maintain momentum, and by mid-2024, territorial changes month to month were modest.

In 2025, the Kupiansk offensive emerged as a focal point. Russian troops pressed west across the Oskil River, establishing bridgeheads and pushing toward the city. Russian forces intensified their efforts around Kupiansk in late 2024 and early 2025, though Ukrainian defenses held key sectors. Fighting in Kharkiv Oblast was fierce, with Russia gaining limited ground at high cost while Ukraine leveraged Western artillery and air defense systems to blunt advances. Russian missile and drone strikes on urban centers like Kyiv and Odesa persisted, targeting energy, infrastructure, and civilian areas. As of late 2025, the front remains contested and largely unchanged—characterized by attrition, localized offensives, and Russia’s incremental territorial gains.

Political Fallout of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The majority of the world’s countries, as well as organizations including NATO, the European Union, and the Council of Europe, have strongly condemned Russia’s actions. Many countries have sent military supplies and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but have not yet sent troops to assist in the country’s defense. On March 16, 2022, the International Court of Justice ruled 13-2 that Russia must immediately cease its military operations in Ukraine.

The sentiments of the Russian people as a whole are difficult to ascertain, as the Russian government heavily censors information and blocks social media and news websites. Russia has also made it illegal for the press to offer any opinion or information that does not directly support the highly partisan and factually inaccurate official government stance on the invasion. As a result, many press outlets are fleeing the country or shutting down altogether.

The United States, Germany, and several other nations also imposed massive economic sanctions against Russia, such as boycotting the purchase of Russian oil and wheat and locking Russian banks out of the financial network SWIFT, thereby limiting their ability to conduct international transactions. Supply chain shortages caused by these sanctions, as well as the conflict itself, have sent the prices of gasoline, natural gas, wheat, and certain other products (particularly those produced by Russia or Ukraine), to record highs in many places around the globe.

However, the greatest financial impact in 2022 was happening in Russia itself, where the ruble was plummeting in value and the already struggling economy was undergoing tremendous strain. Many countries have also levied sanctions against Putin himself, as well as various other high-level Russian politicians and oligarchs. China, notably, has been reticent to criticize Russia’s actions and has not imposed any sanctions. On March 25, 2022, Putin instructed Russia’s gas importers to accept payments only in Russian rubles, a move intended to increase the flailing value of Russia’s currency. The move was widely rejected by countries including France and Germany.

On March 15, 2022, Russia announced that it was withdrawing from the Council of Europe, a humanitarian organization that had suspended Russia’s membership upon its initial invasion of Ukraine. The 47-nation council instead moved to expel Russia on March 15, 2022. Russia also announced that it had chosen to sanction U.S. President Joe Biden, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and several other high-ranking U.S. officials. The sanctions appeared to be largely symbolic, however, as Psaki noted half-jokingly that the U.S. officials had no Russian vacations planned and no Russian bank accounts they would no longer be able to access. On April 15, 2022, Russia officially protested the United States’ supplying of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine continued as of March 17, 2022, with one of the key points being Russia’s insistence that Ukraine not join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). On March 27, 2022, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine would be willing to agree to remain neutral and reverse plans to join NATO. However, Zelensky added, demilitarization and “denazification”—a term many experts feel Putin is using as a baseless excuse to invade—would not be on the table. However, peace talks continued and arguably contributed to Russia’s March 29, 2022 announcement that it would de-escalate its attacks on the northern cities of Kyiv (Ukraine’s capital) and Chernihiv.

On April 04, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly voted to remove Russia from the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Russia remained a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, however, a situation that many, including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, have claimed undermines the organization’s credibility and effectiveness.

On April 22, 2022, Russian officials revealed that Russia’s goal was to take control of the southeastern portion of Ukraine. Annexing this region would establish a land bridge between Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which it had previously annexed in 2014.

After the initial global backlash, the political consequences of Russia’s invasion continued to evolve in subsequent years. In 2023, the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and other key players introduced [further sanction packages], expanding restrictions on Russian energy exports, financial institutions, and technology transfers. Many of these efforts aimed to cut off revenue streams essential for sustaining Russia’s war effort.

That same year, some countries also began recalibrating their stances. For instance, debates over the harshness and longevity of sanctions emerged within the EU, while some nations in the Global South criticized what they saw as overreach in Western economic pressure campaigns.

By 2024, Russia’s economy was feeling increasing strain. Western analysts observed that sanctions, currency pressures, and reduced access to key technologies were contributing to a gradual depletion of Russia’s financial buffers. Still, the Kremlin managed to retain some resilience, partly by redirecting trade flows toward non-Western partners and expanding domestic production of war-related goods.

Diplomatically, Russia attempted to soften its pariah status. In February 2025, it engaged in high-profile talks with the U.S. at a summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—remarkably held without Ukrainian or European representation. The move was widely viewed as an effort by Russia (and by some in the U.S.) to reshuffle diplomatic ground, but it triggered backlash from Kyiv and European capitals.

In February 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution ES-11/7, reaffirming principles for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine. The vote—passed with 93 in favor, 18 against, and 65 abstentions—reflected continued global divisions, with several states reluctant to confront Russia directly.

Also in 2025, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2774, the first non-procedural resolution on the Russia–Ukraine war accepted under the current terms. While criticized by some European states for being overly neutral, the resolution indicated that Russia was no longer able to indefinitely veto all substantive measures at the UN level.

On the economic front, Western sanctions have continued to expand in 2025. Washington introduced further restrictions targeting Russia’s exports of enriched uranium and imposed tighter price caps on Russian crude oil—moves designed to puncture Moscow’s remaining revenue channels.

Politically within Russia, the government also tightened internal controls. Censorship and suppression of dissent have remained aggressive. Meanwhile, some observers note that Russia relaxed certain rules on reservist deployment in 2025 in response to battlefield attrition.

Countries Currently at War (as of October 2025)

Category: 10,000+ casualties in 2025

Myanmar

Type: Civil War
2024-25 casualties (estimate): 15,420
Conflict between the various ethnic factions in Myanmar began in 1948, the year the country gained independence from the UK, and has continued in varying degrees ever since, making this the longest civil war in the world. While the conflict waned briefly from 2011-2021 amid ongoing political reform, a 2021 military coup plunged the country back into violence. ACLED estimates that Myanmar endured 11,000 casualties in 2021 and more than 13,000 in the first eight months of 2022. The toll climbed to over 15,000 between mid-2024 and mid-2025.

Sudan

Type: Civil War
2024-25 casualties (ACLED estimate): 20,373
Sudan’s war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023, has become one of the world’s deadliest conflicts. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), an estimated 20,373 people were killed between August 2024 and August 2025, with many more deaths likely unreported. The fighting has devastated cities such as Khartoum and El Fasher, displaced over 12 million people, and triggered famine conditions amid attacks on hospitals and aid convoys. The United Nations Security Council has condemned widespread atrocities, including mass killings and sexual violence, as Sudan’s civil war enters its third year.

Palestinian Territories (Gaza / West Bank)

Type: Interstate Conflict (Israel–Gaza War)
2024-25 casualties (estimate): 21,417
The conflict between Israel and Palestinian factions, which sharply escalated in October 2023, continues to devastate the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), an estimated 21,417 people were killed between August 2024 and August 2025, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in the world. Fighting, bombardments, and humanitarian blockades have left tens of thousands more injured and displaced, while widespread damage to hospitals, schools, and infrastructure has led the United Nations to label Gaza’s humanitarian situation as catastrophic.

Russia [also involved: Ukraine]

Type: Invasion (aggressor) 2025 casualties (estimate): 200,000-285,000
Estimates for the number of Russian troops lost thus far in the country’s “special military operation” in Ukraine vary widely. In late July 2022, the US military estimated 15,000 Russian troops killed and 45,000 wounded, and an August estimate raised the collective number to 70,000-80,000 for both KIA and wounded. Since the Kremlin has not released public figures for military losses since March 2022, Russian war fatalities are extremely difficult to quantify after that date. But a composite estimate for total fatalities in 2025 – from multiple sources – is between 200,000 and 285,000 killed, as of mid-October, 2025.

Ukraine [also involved: Russia]

Type: Invasion (defender) 2024-25 casualties: 81,958 military and civilians (estimated)
Although the Russo-Ukrainian War began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, the situation escalated tremendously with Russia’s invasion of the Ukrainian mainland in February of 2022. Casualty estimates have been complicated by the facts that millions of Ukrainians have become homeless refugees and that Russia has deported thousands of prisoners of war (both soldiers and civilians) back to Russia. Both of these conditions make casualty tallies difficult to discern.

*2024-25 data from 08 Aug 2024 to 08 Aug 2025.

Countries in Which War Casualties Fell Below 10,000 in 2025

Afghanistan

Type: Civil War/Terrorist Insurgency
2024 casualties (Rawadari estimate): 768
The war in Afghanistan has been on and off since 1978. The most recent phase began in 2001 and has primarily revolved around U.S. and U.N. forces and allied Afghan troops fighting Taliban insurgents. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), there were 30,936 confirmed fatalities in 2020 alone. The US/UN withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 signaled that particular conflict, but the Taliban immediately retook control of the country and war between the Taliban and other factions, including ISIL-K, which bombed the airport in Kabul during U.S. evacuations, continues. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) estimates that Afghanistan has experienced more than 2,700 casualties in 2022. Conflict-related fatalities in 2025 are extremely difficult to determine, but the 2024 numbers are estimated at 768 total war-related deaths.

Mexico

Type: Drug War
2024-25 casualties (ACLED estimate): 8,616
The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing conflict between the Mexican government and multiple powerful and violent drug trafficking cartels. It is estimated that the war on drugs has led to at least 350,000 deaths—with more than 72,000 people still missing—from January 2006 to May 2021. The most recent data reports 8,616 casualties between Aug 2024 and Aug 2025.

Yemen [also involved: Saudi Arabia]

Type: Civil War
2025 casualties (estimate from varied sources): ~1,000 to 3,000
The Yemeni Civil War began in September 2014 when the Houthi armed movement took control of Sanaa, the capital city and seat of the existing government, led by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Both factions claim to be the official Yemeni government. Saudi Arabia intervened in support of Hadi in early 2015, leading a coalition of Asian and African countries, with intelligence and logistical support from the United States. ACLED has counted more than 140,000 fatalities since the start of the war, including nearly 20,000 in 2020 alone.

In April 2022, the two sides in this conflict agreed to a two-month truce, which could be extended indefinitely (two months at a time) into the future. As of September 2022, the truce has been extended multiple times. While the truce has not always been followed—more than 2000 violations (resulting in 350+ fatalities) have been recorded since its adoption—it has nonetheless decreased the level of violence in the country, which saw more than 23,000 deaths in 2021.

Since 2023, violence has fluctuated but continues to claim lives. Between early 2024 and mid-2025, more than 1,600 people were killed in renewed clashes and airstrikes. Notable incidents include a U.S. airstrike on the Ras Isa oil terminal that killed over 80 people on April 17, 2025 and another on April 28, 2025, which struck a migrant detention center in Saada, killing 68 detainees and injuring dozens more. Despite intermittent cease-fires, Yemen’s humanitarian crisis remains among the world’s worst as sporadic violence continues into 2025.