Romania, NATO’s eastern border. The 101st Airborne Division, one of the U.S. Army’s most elite airborne assault divisions, is deployed to Europe, specifically to Romania, for the first time in 80 years (the first time since World War II), against the backdrop of rising tensions between Russia and NATO following the invasion of Ukraine. This light infantry unit, nicknamed “Screaming Eagle,” is trained to be deployed to any battlefield in the world at a moment’s notice.

Crimea. The Kerch Bridge, the only bridge connecting the peninsula to Russia, explodes. The asphalt road partially collapses into the sea, and the railway is also heavily damaged: a train loaded with hydrocarbons was passing through, which ignited for hours. The bridge, the longest in Europe, had been built by the Russians a few years earlier after the illegal annexation of Crimea to Russia.

Kherson, Ukraine. The Russian front collapses north of Kherson, and Ukrainian soldiers push along the western bank of the Dnieper River.

Donetsk, Ukraine. On the same day Moscow celebrated the annexation of this Ukrainian region, along with three others, to Russia, thousands of Russian soldiers were surrounded in a key city in Donetsk. The strategic town of Lyman, a key rail hub for Russian supplies and provisions and a Russian military hub, was encircled and its supply lines cut. Pro-Kremlin forces admitted that the Ukrainians had made significant gains in the region and were close to cutting off the Russian position in northern Donetsk, which has been under Russian control since July. A few hours later, a large portion of the 5,000 Russian soldiers withdrew from the Lyman pocket, along the only available route. This was a strategic victory for Ukrainian forces, given the importance of the hub in Donbas.

Moscow, Russia. President Vladimir Putin has declared the annexation of the four Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk, following a sham referendum held in the preceding days, without international observers, with transparent ballot boxes, pre-filled ballots, and soldiers forcing and escorting voters. Putin’s proclamation of Russian control over 15% of Ukraine—the largest annexation in Europe since World War II (and the second, Crimea, is also Russian)—has been firmly rejected by Western countries and even many of Russia’s close allies. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called it an illegal violation of the UN Charter. The annexation comes as parts of the territories are firmly in Ukrainian hands, and the Russians are in retreat in several places. Additionally, on the same day, 23 civilians were killed when a rocket attack hit a convoy of vehicles outside the city of Zaporizhia that were planning to enter the occupied territory to deliver aid and evacuate those authorized to leave. This act of brutality marked the beginning of the area’s first day under what Russia considers its protective umbrella.

Italy. The Brothers of Italy party, led by Giorgia Meloni, along with its right-wing allies, Matteo Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia, won a clear victory in the elections for the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, obtaining an absolute majority.

Baltic Sea, off the southern tip of Sweden. The Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, which supply gas from Russia to Europe, began leaking massive quantities of gas three times on the same day, causing it to rise violently to the surface. Later, the Swedish and Danish seismological institutes identified three separate underwater explosions. An investigation by the Washington Post in November 2023 identified Ukrainian Colonel Roman Chervinsky as the possible culprit. He allegedly managed the logistics and support of a six-man team sent to the Baltic with a sailboat and scuba gear to plant explosive charges on underwater structures. Chervinsky had reportedly always responded, at least indirectly, to the orders of Valery Zaluzhny, general in charge of the Ukrainian army.

In Russia, Vladimir Putin called for a partial national mobilization to recruit 300,000 conscripts for the war in Ukraine. The measure sparked street protests and a flight to neighboring countries, especially Finland (44,000 Russians crossed the border into Finland and 66,000 into EU countries in a single week) and Georgia (78,000 Russians crossed the border into Georgia in a single week).

Iran. Following the death in a police station of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, arrested by morality police for wearing a headscarf inappropriately, riots erupted in Tehran and then across the country. Over 1,200 people were arrested in the first few days alone, 76 were killed by police, and 18 journalists were also detained.

Ukraine. After a series of targeted bombings of Russian command and control centers and ammunition depots, the Ukrainian army and air force began a counteroffensive in the south (Kherson area) and east (Izyum area) of the country. On September 9 and 10, the Ukrainians broke through Russian lines in the east of Kharkiv Oblast and entered Izyum, where, a few days later, mass graves containing over 400 bodies, mostly civilians, bearing signs of torture, were discovered.

Der Eizor, Syria. Hatla, just west of the Euphrates River. The U.S. Air Force carried out several targeted airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia positions following a missile attack on coalition bases in the region that wounded three U.S. soldiers. The military carried out the strikes with AC-140 gunships, Apache attack helicopters, and M777 howitzers.

Kabul, Afghanistan. An American drone kills Al Zawahiri, the global leader of Al Qaeda, wanted for over twenty years. US President Joe Biden declares: “Justice has been done. Ayman Al-Zawahiri is dead. He was one of those responsible for 9/11; he left a trail of American blood.” “Today we are safer in an uncertain world,” Biden added. “I promised: I will never let Afghanistan become a haven for terrorists.” Al Zawahiri was on the balcony of a supposedly secure location in Kabul when a CIA drone fired two Hellfire missiles at him. Other family members were present but escaped unharmed.

Japan. Shinzo Abe, former prime minister and sitting member of the House of Representatives, is assassinated while speaking at a political event outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara, Nara Prefecture. While giving a campaign speech for a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidate, Abe is shot from behind at close range by a man with a homemade firearm. He is transported by medical helicopter to Nara Medical University Hospital, where he is pronounced dead. The assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, is immediately arrested at the scene for attempted murder, later revised to murder charges after Abe’s death. Yamagami told investigators that he harbored a grudge against the Unification Church for his mother’s failure and that he shot Abe believing he was close to the group. He accused Abe of spreading the church’s influence in Japan.

Snake Island, Ukraine. Russian soldiers withdraw from the island, a small but important outpost in the Black Sea. The Ukrainian victory does not mark a major turning point in the war, but it does weaken the Kremlin’s blockade of the Black Sea.

Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. The day after the Ukrainians ordered their forces to withdraw from the city, the Russian army took full control of the town of Sieverodonetsk after several weeks of fighting.

Azovstal Steelworks, Mariupol, Ukraine. Nearly a thousand Ukrainian soldiers have left the besieged Azovstal steelworks, Russia said, marking the end of a long and fierce battle for Mariupol. Ukrainian forces have been holed up in the underground complex for more than 80 days, staging the southeastern city’s final stand and preventing approximately 20,000 Russian troops from being deployed elsewhere. The Russian Defense Ministry said 959 Ukrainians surrendered, 80 of them wounded. It is unclear how many Ukrainian troops remain in Azovstal, but the reported scale of the surrender appears to confirm Russia’s capture of Mariupol. Ukraine has refused to acknowledge its surrender, saying instead that its combat mission was over.

Northeastern Ukraine. Ukrainian forces recapture the northern suburbs of Kharkiv, pushing back Russian forces.

Black Sea, off the coast of Odessa. The flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva, sinks. It is a 182-meter, 12,490-ton ship. The Russians claim it was due to a fire on board and bad weather, while the Ukrainians claim they hit it with two Neptune missiles. There were 510 sailors aboard the ship, all of whom the Russians claim were rescued. The last time a ship of this size was lost in war was the Argentine General Belgrano, during the Falklands War, forty years earlier. The Moskva was the third-largest ship in the entire Russian navy.

Kiev, Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, travels by train to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky. She then goes to witness the massacre of defenseless civilians in Bucha. Just as a Russian missile hits civilians at the Kramatorsk station in eastern Ukraine, causing a massacre, at least 50 dead—including 10 children—and 100 injured among the thousands of refugees waiting to be evacuated. The missile bears the slogan “For the Children” in Russian.

Ukraine. Thanks to the partial withdrawal of the Russian army, Ukrainian forces managed to retake several towns and territories up to the Belarusian border, especially in the area around Kiev. In Bucha, a town just west of Kiev, dozens of bodies of civilians killed in the streets and mass graves containing 420 bodies were also discovered.

Moscow. Komsomolskaya Pravda, the pro-Kremlin tabloid, claims that according to Russian Defense Ministry figures, 9,861 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine and 16,153 have been wounded. (The Ukrainians estimate Russian losses at double these estimates, which are close to those estimated by the Americans.) These are enormous losses in less than a month of fighting, greater than the American soldiers killed in twenty years of military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq combined. Russian losses of equipment in Ukraine are equally high (according to American estimates: personnel – 15,000, tanks – 498, APV – 1,535, artillery systems – 240, MRLS – 80, anti-aircraft warfare systems – 45, aircraft – 97, UAVs – 24, boats – 3, helicopters – 121). Finally, six Russian generals have been killed on the battlefield since the beginning of the fighting.

Kiev. The leaders of Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic are taking a risky train journey to Kiev, besieged on three sides, to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky to demonstrate their support. Zelensky has been holding video conferences with several Western heads of state and parliaments, including the U.S. Congress.

Mariupol, Ukraine. Yet another ceasefire called by the Russians for the evacuation of civilians has been violated by the Russians, this time targeting a pediatric hospital and maternity ward with high-explosive bombs, including wards containing pregnant women (one, captured in images that went around the world, will give birth a few days later; another, also in the images, will die, along with her baby, shortly thereafter). Thousands of civilians have already died in the siege of Mariupol.

NATO is supplying Ukraine with 17,000 anti-tank missiles (including Javelins) and 7,000 Patriot anti-aircraft missiles. The supplies are mostly delivered via Poland, the Baltic States, and Romania, using gigantic cargo planes such as the Ukrainian Air Force’s Antonov AN-124.

In southeastern Ukraine, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in the world with six reactors, was attacked directly by the Russian army, causing a fire. The incident sparked international protests. The plant has not recorded any radioactive leaks.

Ukraine. Russian troops enter the city of Kherson, in the south of the country. After seven days of fighting, it is the first Ukrainian city captured by the Russians. The Russians are also just a few dozen kilometers from Kiev, where a 60-kilometer convoy of Russian military vehicles has been virtually blocked for several days. Fighting continues for Kharkiv and Mariupol, which is under siege. Sanctions against Russia and its oligarchs, and Russia’s international isolation, are increasing. At the United Nations, 141 countries vote on a resolution condemning the invasion and calling for Russia’s withdrawal; 35 abstain, including India and China, and 5 vote against (Russia, North Korea, Syria, Eritrea, Belarus).

Ukraine. Following the Russian invasion, increasingly impactful countermeasures are being taken. Major Russian investment banks are cut off from the SWIFT banking agreement for international payments. Turkey closes the Bosphorus to Russian naval vessels. In addition to the United States, Great Britain, and other countries, the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden also send lethal weapons to Ukraine. Germany approves a €113 billion increase in military spending. The EU closes its airspace to Russian aircraft and decides to send weapons to Ukraine. This is the first time in the history of the European Union that such a decision has been made.

Ukraine. Over 100,000 Ukrainian citizens have already fled the country, seeking refuge in Poland. The capital, Kyiv, is under siege by the Russian army, and thousands of submachine guns have been distributed to citizens. Sweden and Finland exceptionally attended the meeting urgently convened by NATO.

Ukraine. Snake Island. There’s audio in which a Russian officer’s voice can be heard: “This is a military warship. This is a Russian military warship. I advise you to lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary losses. Otherwise, you will be bombed.” Then, silence and the reply: “Russian warship, go fuck yourself.” And, finally, the sound of bombs. The alarm went off at 5:00 PM on February 24th; at 9:00 PM, contact with the outpost in the middle of the sea was lost. Immediately afterward, Ukrainian authorities announced that the island had fallen into Russian hands, following bombardment from the air and sea. Later, it was learned that some of the soldiers had been taken prisoner.

Ukraine is hit by missile attacks and air raids, and is soon invaded by the Russian army from the north, east, and south, with over 100,000 soldiers, thousands of tanks, and hundreds of missiles and aircraft. NATO countries, Japan, and Australia impose heavy economic sanctions on Russian oligarchs, including Putin and Lavrov, but their potential effect is only long-term.

Moscow, Russia. Sudanese Hemedti entered into a partnership with the Russian Wagner Group, receiving training in exchange for trade agreements, including gold. He traveled to Moscow to formalize the agreement and was present the day Russia invaded Ukraine. After the war broke out in Sudan, he denied that the RSF was receiving aid from Wagner.

The crisis in Ukraine escalates dramatically. In a surprise move, Russian President Vladimir Putin first announces, in a one-hour televised address, the recognition of the independence of the self-proclaimed breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (already partially occupied by pro-Russian separatists), before ordering the deployment of troops to the Donbas region (the Donets Basin, composed of the republics of Donetsk and Luhansk). He also declares that Ukraine has no historical identity as a nation. Nearly 200,000 Russian soldiers are stationed on Ukraine’s borders on three sides: north, east, and south (Crimea).

Belarus. After more than two months of military exercises on Ukraine’s northern border with Russia, joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises have begun in Belarus. Russian troops on the Ukrainian border have now reached 100,000. Although Moscow denies any intention to invade Ukraine, international tensions are high. The US president, however, indicates an invasion is imminent.

Northern Syria, near the Turkish border. A raid by US special forces surrounds the location of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. He blows himself up along with his wife and children. The victims in total include, in addition to himself, six children and four women. The leader’s killing comes just as ISIS is resurfacing after the strategic slumber of the past two years, with a series of attacks such as the one on Hasak prison in northeastern Syria a few days earlier.

Al-Sina Prison, northeastern Syria, territory controlled by the Kurdish SDF with American support. Battle of al-Hasakah: A coordinated attack by a large group of ISIS members leads to a revolt and the escape of hundreds of prisoners from the prison. The intervention of SDF forces leads to the killing of 114 ISIS members for a total of 166 deaths, including escapees, and the arrest of another 550 ISIS members. SDF casualties are 45 and ISIS takes 27 hostages.

Guriel, Galmuduk region, Somalia. The Somali National Army regains control of the city, which had been taken by the ASWJ militia, a former ally in the war against Shabab and Al-Qaeda. The death toll stands at approximately 120, according to ASWJ, and 16 according to the government, while over 100,000 people have been displaced.

Historic security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The agreement will see the United States and the United Kingdom provide Australia with the technology to build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time. It is widely seen as an effort to counter China’s influence in the disputed South China Sea. The region has been a flashpoint for years, and tensions remain high. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the alliance risks “seriously damaging regional peace… and intensifying the arms race.” The agreement also sparked resentment from France, a party with which Australia had previously had an agreement. The Australia-UK-US agreement became known as Aukus.

The leader of the Islamic State in the Sahara group was killed by French troops. Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi founded the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) in 2015. The group is accused of numerous attacks in the region, including the targeted killing of French aid workers in 2020.

Kabul. General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, boarding the C-130, is the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan.

Kabul, Afghanistan. The airport, by agreement between the Americans and the Taliban, remains under NATO control to allow for evacuation. 80,000 Afghans have already been evacuated in the massive airlift organized by NATO forces. Among the crowds thronging to access the airport, two bombs suddenly explode in front of the main entrance, where American soldiers are stationed. These attacks were later claimed by ISIS-K, the Taliban’s enemy. At least 90 people were killed, including 12 Marines and an American doctor. 150 were injured. The double terrorist attack came after several high-risk warnings from intelligence agencies in the previous two days.

Kabul, Afghanistan. The Taliban enter Kabul.

Afghanistan. The Taliban also conquer Kunduz, in their rapid advance following the withdrawal of allied troops. A few days earlier, they had also conquered Sar-e-Pul and Taloqan.

Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. The Americans abandon the base during the night, slightly ahead of schedule. This marks the end of a 20-year military intervention, which began immediately after the events of September 11, 2001, following the Taliban’s proven involvement in providing cover for Al-Qaeda, which had organized the attacks. In two decades of conflict, the allied coalition has suffered 3,562 deaths, including 2,420 Americans, 456 Britons, 159 Canadians, 89 French, 57 Germans, 53 Italians, and others; 3,937 contractors have also died. The Taliban have suffered more than 51,000 deaths, and Al-Qaeda more than 2,000. Finally, the Islamic State (ISIL) has also suffered more than 2,400 deaths in the conflict.