Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov announced that 20 of the 157 Russian soldiers exchanged on February 5 and returned from Ukrainian captivity were natives of Chechnya.

At a meeting in Moscow with Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov expressed surprise at statements by Armenian politicians about a potential "northern threat" and "hybrid threats." According to Lavrov, only the European Union is pressuring Yerevan, demanding a choice between cooperation with Russia or the EU.

One of the results of the negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in Abu Dhabi was an agreement on the first prisoner of war exchange in four months, based on a 157-for-157 formula. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this yesterday, and US Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff confirmed the information today.

Today, the Baku Military Court announced the sentences for members of the former leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh, the unrecognized republic that came under Azerbaijani control. In Baku, the defendants are referred to as "Armenian separatists" and were charged with crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, terrorist financing, and more.

The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan rejected the cassation appeals of trade union activist Afiyaddin Mammadov and human rights defender Ilhamiz Guliyev. Therefore, their defense intends to seek a ruling against their convictions in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk expressed the opinion that Armenia will eventually need to choose between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). According to him, simultaneous participation in both associations is not feasible.

At a ceremony in Abu Dhabi, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received the Sheikh Zayed Foundation Award for Human Fraternity from the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The leaders of the two countries were awarded for their consistent advancement of the peace agenda and their commitment to ensuring cooperation and stability in the region.

As a result of a broken jaw following a car accident, Adam Kadyrov, the son of the head of Chechnya, is forced to remain in a Moscow hospital on a strict, gentle diet, according to the Telegram channel of the Chechen opposition movement NIYSO (designated extremist in Russia). During this period, he is allowed to consume only liquid foods—primarily broths, soups, and nutritional formulas—since proper chewing is impossible.

About 50 asylum seekers, primarily from Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Dagestan, held in the Ezevo immigration prison in Croatia, have ended their hunger strike. The strike was previously launched in protest against the possible extradition of 19-year-old Ingush native Magomed-Amin Gatagazhev to Russia and the violation of their rights.

In its report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted a "sharp deterioration" in the human rights situation in Georgia through 2025. The document highlights a number of problems.