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Day: February 19, 2026
3/ Kremlin officials continue to indicate that Russia’s aims extend beyond simply removing Zelensky to the installation of a pro-Russian puppet government in postwar Ukraine, further undermining the Russian narrative that the demands are only tied to questions of territorial control.
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) Feb 20, 2026
MORE: Putin has repeatedly indicated that his war aims extend beyond territory in eastern Ukraine and include changes to the NATO alliance that amount to a total restructuring of the European security architecture, Ukraine’s abandonment of its NATO membership aspirations, severe limitations on the Ukrainian military such that Ukraine cannot defend itself, and the replacement of the current Ukrainian government with a pro-Russian puppet government.Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar)NEW: Western sources continue to indicate that Putin’s objectives are not limited to control of Ukrainian territory — in line with ISW’s longstanding assessment based on repeated Kremlin public statements.
Western sources tied Putin’s unwillingness to compromise in negotiations to his belief that the Russian economy can continue to support a protracted war, which is consistent with ISW’s longstanding assessment of Putin’s theory of victory.
The Kremlin is attempting to distract the United States with bilateral economic deals in order to secure concessions during US-led peace negotiations on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian defense industrial base (DIB) continues to move toward self-sufficiency, but Western support remains critical to this endeavor.
Russian forces have reportedly adapted their Geran-2 drones to be “mothership” drones that carry first-person view (FPV) drones deeper into the Ukrainian rear.
Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk.
Russian forces recently advanced near Slovyansk.— https://x.com/TheStudyofWar/status/2024681248115855647
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) Feb 20, 2026
President Donald J. Trump has announced that he will be directing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other departments and agencies, “to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) Feb 20, 2026
Scientists are proposing to build a laser inside a crater on the Moon to help future lunar missions land safely in darkness and navigate the surface with unprecedented precision. This ultra-stable light source could also revolutionize timekeeping on Earth, they explain in a paper posted on the arXiv preprint server, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.
The post Lunar laser may boost missions and timekeeping first appeared on The South Caucasus News – SouthCaucasusNews.com.
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