It is early 2026. If you turn on the news, it feels like the whole world is basically on fire. Most of us just want to know what wars are going on right now without getting buried in 50-page academic reports or dry military jargon. Honestly, the map of global conflict has changed so fast in the last couple of years that it’s hard to keep track of who is fighting whom and, more importantly, why.
War isn't just about tanks anymore. It's drones. It's cyberattacks. It's starving out cities.
We are currently seeing a massive shift in how global power works. The post-Cold War "peace" is pretty much gone. From the high-tech trenches in Eastern Europe to the brutal street fighting in Sudan, the sheer scale of displacement is staggering. We’re talking about millions of people. Not just numbers on a spreadsheet, but actual families who had to pack a bag in ten minutes and run.
The grinding reality of the Russia-Ukraine War
You’ve heard about this one every day for years. But the situation in 2026 is a weird, exhausting mix of World War I-style trench warfare and sci-fi drone tech. It’s the primary conflict people think of when they ask what wars are going on right now, and for good reason. It reshaped Europe.
The front lines haven't moved much lately, but the intensity hasn't dropped. Russia continues to pour resources into the Donbas region. They're using "meat wave" tactics—basically sending waves of infantry to overwhelm Ukrainian positions—while Ukraine has leaned heavily into long-range maritime drones and domestic missile production.
A lot of people thought this would be over in weeks. They were wrong.
The human cost is horrific. Estimates from organizations like the U.K. Ministry of Defence and various independent monitors suggest hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides. But it's not just soldiers. The energy grid in Ukraine is a constant target. Imagine trying to get through a winter with no heat because a missile hit a power plant three cities away. That's the daily reality for millions.
Western support has fluctuated. Political shifts in Washington and Brussels have made the flow of ammunition unpredictable. This creates a "famine" of artillery shells on the front, where Ukrainian commanders have to choose which village to defend and which to let go. It's a brutal, cold math that no one should have to do.
Chaos in the Middle East: Gaza and beyond
If you look at the Levant, the situation is incredibly volatile. The war between Israel and Hamas, which exploded in October 2023, has evolved into a multi-front regional nightmare. Gaza itself is largely in ruins. The humanitarian data coming out of the UN and NGOs like Doctors Without Borders paints a picture of near-total collapse.
But it didn't stay in Gaza.
Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen have turned this into a much larger puzzle. The Houthis, for instance, basically shut down a huge chunk of global shipping in the Red Sea. They’re using relatively cheap drones to harass massive cargo ships. This isn't just a "war" in the traditional sense; it’s an economic blockade that makes your coffee and your electronics more expensive in New York or London.
Then there’s Iran.
The shadow war between Israel and Iran is now very much in the light. We've seen direct missile exchanges, something that was unthinkable a decade ago. When people ask what wars are going on right now, they often miss the "proxy" element. Many of these groups are funded and armed by larger powers who don't want to fight a direct war themselves. It's messy. It’s tragic. And it doesn't have a clear exit ramp.
Sudan: The war the world forgot
It’s frustrating. While Ukraine and Gaza dominate the headlines, the war in Sudan is arguably the most "forgotten" conflict of 2026. It started in April 2023 as a power struggle between two generals: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
They used to be allies. Then they turned the capital, Khartoum, into a graveyard.
The RSF has been accused by groups like Human Rights Watch of ethnic cleansing in Darfur, echoing the horrors we saw there twenty years ago. We are looking at the world's largest displacement crisis. More than 10 million people have fled their homes. Famine is no longer a "risk" in Sudan; it is a reality in places like the Zamzam refugee camp.
Why don't we talk about it? Maybe because there’s no "clear" geopolitical side for the West to cheer for. It’s just two armed groups destroying a country for the sake of ego and gold mines. But if you want to know what wars are going on right now that have the highest potential for mass death from starvation, Sudan is at the top of the list.
Civil war in Myanmar: The silent resistance
In Southeast Asia, Myanmar is in a state of total revolt. Ever since the military coup in 2021, the country has been spiraling. What started as peaceful protests has turned into a sophisticated armed resistance.
The People's Defense Forces (PDF), teamed up with various ethnic armed organizations, have actually managed to take back a lot of territory. The military junta is losing ground. In response, they’ve turned to air strikes. They’re bombing villages, schools, and hospitals because they can’t control the ground.
It’s a scrappy, desperate war. You have young people—former doctors, students, and engineers—living in the jungle, learning how to 3D-print drone parts to fight a professional army. It’s a stark example of how technology is leveling the playing field in modern conflict.
The "Invisible" conflicts and gang wars
When we discuss what wars are going on right now, we usually mean soldiers in uniforms. But that's an old-school way of thinking. Look at Haiti. The state has essentially collapsed. Gangs control the vast majority of Port-au-Prince. Is it a "war"? To the people living there, the distinction doesn't matter. The violence is just as lethal.
Similarly, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a mess of over 100 different rebel groups. The M23 movement, backed by neighboring Rwanda (according to UN experts), has displaced millions. They are fighting over minerals—coltan, cobalt, gold. The stuff inside your smartphone is often paid for with the blood of people in the DRC.
Why is everything happening at once?
It feels like a domino effect. There are a few reasons why 2026 feels so much more violent than, say, 2012.
- Erosion of International Norms: Countries used to be afraid of the "international community." Now? Not so much. If a country breaks international law, the UN Security Council is usually too gridlocked by vetoes to do anything.
- Cheap Tech: You don’t need a billion-dollar Air Force to be dangerous anymore. A $500 drone with a grenade strapped to it can take out a multi-million dollar tank.
- Climate Stress: In places like the Sahel region of Africa, disappearing water and farmable land are driving people into armed groups just to survive.
The sheer complexity of these overlapping issues makes "peace" a very hard thing to sell.
Actionable ways to stay informed and help
It’s easy to feel helpless when reading about what wars are going on right now, but staying informed is actually the first step toward any kind of change.
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- Diversify your news intake: Don’t just rely on social media clips. Check out the ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project). They track every single battle and riot globally in real-time. It’s eye-opening.
- Support direct aid: If you want to help, look for "boots on the ground" NGOs. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and World Central Kitchen are usually the first ones into conflict zones to provide food and medical care.
- Track the money: Many conflicts are fueled by the trade of natural resources. Supporting companies that use "conflict-free" minerals (especially for electronics) puts pressure on the systems that fund these wars.
- Check the displacement data: Use the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) portal to see where people are actually going. It helps you understand which neighboring countries are under the most pressure, which often hints at where the next conflict might break out.
The world is undeniably in a period of high friction. Understanding the nuances—that Ukraine is a war of sovereignty, Sudan is a war of power, and the DRC is a war of resources—is the only way to make sense of the chaos.