Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent an official message to his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing condolences over the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The message, published on the head of state's website, called the death of Iran's spiritual and political leader a grave loss.

Pilgrims awaiting a flight from Jeddah to Makhachkala were returned to Mecca due to a canceled flight. They are being accommodated in a hotel pending further decisions.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has initiated legal proceedings demanding the seizure of assets worth 533 million rubles from the former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs for Dagestan, Rufat Ismailov.

A number of flights from airports in the North Caucasus have been cancelled due to the deteriorating geopolitical situation in the Middle East following the Israeli and US military attack on Iran. Specifically, a flight from Makhachkala to Kuwait scheduled for February 28 will not take place, according to Jazeera Airways. Azimuth Airlines also canceled a flight from Mineralnye Vody to Dubai, scheduled to depart that evening. The only scheduled flight from Grozny to the United Arab Emirates is scheduled for Sunday.

A Kazakh court in Akmola Oblast has rejected Chechen activist Mansur Movlaev's claim challenging his asylum denial. The court found that the denial of refugee status does not lead to extradition to Russia, and his lawyers failed to provide convincing evidence of a threat to Movlaev's life in his home country.

57-year-old Crimean political prisoner Yashar Muedinov was transferred to Omsk Penal Colony No. 9, although his return to a penal colony in the Arkhangelsk region was previously planned. The reasons for this transfer are not specified.

A memorial plaque has been reinstalled on the house where journalist Anna Politkovskaya died, installed by activists who also brought flowers. This is the 24th attempt to restore the memorial on Lesnaya Street, which is constantly torn down.

The European Union may completely halt visa-free travel for Georgia, stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In a letter to the Georgian opposition, she stated that if the Georgian government does not change its policy, EU authorities may suspend visa-free travel for all Georgian citizens. Currently, only holders of Georgian diplomatic passports are excluded from visa-free travel.

Authorities in Ingushetia have officially reported the deaths of eight more service members from the republic during the war in Ukraine. This information was confirmed by posthumous awards to their relatives by the head of the republic, Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov.

On Wednesday, February 25, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Warsaw for a two-day official visit. He began the day with a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, after which he posted a video. In the video, which quickly went viral on social media, Donald Tusk makes a "heart" with his fingers—the Armenian leader's signature gesture.