February 16, 2025 (Sunday)

Local officials and residents report that Rwanda-backed M23 forces have taken over the center of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu in eastern DR Congo.

Russia launches drone strikes across Ukraine, injuring at least one person and damaging a thermal power station in Mykolaiv, leaving 46,000 people without heat. Ukraine says that it shot down 95 of 143 drones while disrupting 46 others by electronic countermeasures.

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo acknowledges the fall of Bukavu to M23 rebels and urges its roughly two million residents to shelter in place.

The U.S. military announces that the Yemen Coast Guard had successfully intercepted an Iranian weapons shipment on its way to the Houthi movement in Yemen on 12 February.

The BAFTAs are held at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England. The Brutalist and Conclave win the most awards, with four each, while the latter also wins Best Film.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio leads a delegation that includes National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for initial talks with Russia. A Russian source reports that the meeting will occur on 18 February and that the Russian delegation is expected to include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, and SVR Director Sergey Naryshkin.