Honestly, if you look at a map from 2024 and compare it to today in January 2026, it’s kinda startling how much the "hot spots" have shifted—or, in some depressing cases, just dug in deeper. We're living through a moment where the old rules about how wars start and end seem to have just... evaporated. It’s not just about tanks anymore. It’s drones, cyber-attacks, and "shadow wars" that don't always make the evening news but are absolutely wrecking lives.
You’ve probably heard snippets about Ukraine or Gaza, but there’s a lot more going on under the surface. From the brutal deadlock in Sudan to the "sham" elections in Myanmar, the list of who's at war right now is long, complicated, and frankly, a bit overwhelming.
The Big Ones: Ukraine and the Middle East
The war in Ukraine has hit a grueling, frozen-solid phase this winter. As of mid-January 2026, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russian advances have slowed down significantly, mostly because the weather is miserable and their new "infantry infiltration" tactics are hard to pull off when it's -15°C outside.
But don't let the word "slowed" fool you into thinking it's quiet.
📖 Related: Sweden School Shooting 2025: What Really Happened at Campus Risbergska
Russia has been hammering Ukrainian energy grids with a massive volume of drones—we're talking over 5,000 in a single month recently. In Kyiv and Odesa, people are literally fighting to keep the heat on. There's a lot of talk right now about a "Coalition of the Willing"—mostly European countries like France and the UK—who are looking at putting "military hubs" or monitoring teams on the ground if a ceasefire ever happens. But for now? It’s a slugfest in the mud and snow.
Then you have the Middle East. It’s a mess of overlapping crises. While the full-scale invasion of Gaza has technically "wound down" compared to the 2023-2024 peak, the region is still on the boil.
- Gaza: A fragile ceasefire exists, but the UNRWA is still reporting military activity near the "Yellow Line." Over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of this conflict back in 2023.
- Lebanon: Israel and Hezbollah are still trading blows almost daily.
- Iran: There’s massive domestic unrest there, and the U.S. has been signaling it might get more involved if things get even more violent.
The War the World Ignores: Sudan’s 1,000 Days
If you want to know who's at war right now in the most brutal sense, look at Sudan. We just passed the 1,000-day mark of this civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
👉 See also: Will Palestine Ever Be Free: What Most People Get Wrong
It is, quite literally, the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet.
Over 13 million people have been kicked out of their homes. Think about that number for a second. That's more than the entire population of many European countries. The health system has basically collapsed—the WHO says a third of all health facilities are just... gone. It’s a "slow death," as one survivor in Port Sudan put it. Foreign powers are also poking the fire, sending in drones and cash to keep their favorite side fighting while the country starves.
Myanmar: A Civil War Behind "Elections"
In Southeast Asia, Myanmar is currently holding what the UN calls "sham" elections. The military junta, which took over in a coup back in 2021, is trying to act like things are normal, but they’re actually losing ground.
✨ Don't miss: JD Vance River Raised Controversy: What Really Happened in Ohio
Resistance groups, like the Arakan Army, now control huge chunks of the country. The military responds by bombing hospitals and villages. It’s a messy, fragmented war where the front lines change every week. If you're living in Mandalay or Sagaing, "election day" usually just means more airstrikes.
Emerging Flashpoints and "Shadow" Wars
It’s not just the famous conflicts we need to watch. There are these "brewing" wars that could explode any second.
- Ethiopia vs. Eritrea: These two used to be allies against Tigrayan rebels, but now they’re staring each other down over access to the Red Sea. It’s a classic "border dispute" that could turn into an all-out conflagration in the Horn of Africa.
- The Sahel: In places like Mali and Burkina Faso, armed groups are expanding so fast that the central governments basically only control the capital cities.
- Haiti: It’s not a "war" in the traditional sense, but the gang violence there is so intense it’s basically a localized civil war. The UN is still trying to figure out how to stabilize it without making things worse.
What This Means for You
It’s easy to look at a list of who's at war right now and feel like the world is just falling apart. And yeah, 130 active conflicts globally is a terrifying stat. But there are practical ways to track this and understand the ripple effects, especially on things like gas prices, shipping, and even the "New START" nuclear treaty that’s about to expire between the U.S. and Russia.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Check the Maps: Use the CFR Global Conflict Tracker for real-time updates on territorial shifts. It’s much more accurate than social media rumors.
- Watch the Energy Markets: Conflicts in the Red Sea (Houthis) and Ukraine directly hit your wallet via shipping costs and oil prices.
- Support Verified Relief: If you want to help, the ICRC (Red Cross) and WHO are the ones actually on the ground in the "forgotten" wars like Sudan and Myanmar.
- Vet Your Sources: Be wary of AI-generated "news" clips on TikTok or X. Stick to on-the-ground reporting from outlets like The Associated Press or Reuters who have actual humans in these zones.
The reality is that peace isn't just the absence of war; it's the presence of stability. Right now, that stability is in short supply, and keeping an eye on these shifting front lines is the only way to not be blindsided by what comes next.