Putin ‘moving nuclear missiles’ to EU border & frog poison hit on Navalny reveals secret chemical weapons

Day 1,453.


Today, amid fresh Russian bombardments and reports of Ukrainian
counter-operations, we step back to assess the broader strategic
picture on the battlefield – and ask what 2026 could bring if
peace talks collapse. We then report from the Munich Security
Conference, where American voices, including US Secretary of
State Marco Rubio, set out competing visions for US involvement
in Europe, and Belarus warned about Moscow’s nuclear expansion.
Then we cover President Zelensky’s candid remarks, and examine
the extraordinary claims from British intelligence that Russian
opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed with a toxin derived
from a frog on the orders of Vladimir Putin.


Contributors


Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley
on X.


Venetia Rainey (Co-host Battle Lines podcast).
@venetiarainey on X.


Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.


Rozina Sabur (National Security Editor). @RozinaSabur on X.


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CONTENT REFERENCED:


Putin’s frog poison hit on Navalny reveals his secret chemical
weapons (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/14/russia-killed-navalny-with-frog-poison-britain-reveals/ 


Kim opens new neighbourhood for families of soldiers killed in
Ukraine (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/16/kim-opens-neighbourhood-families-soldiers-killed-ukraine/ 


Putin ‘moving nuclear missiles’ to EU border (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/15/putin-moving-nuclear-missiles-to-eu-border/ 


Nato will strike ‘deep inside Russia’ if Putin hits Baltics (The
Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/16/nato-air-strikes-deep-in-russia-if-putin-hits-baltics/ 


Poland considers building nuclear weapons (The Telegraph):


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/16/poland-considers-building-nuclear-weapons-russia/ 


Ukraine’s War of Endurance – The Fight for Advantage in the
Conflict’s Fifth Year (Michael Kofman in Foreign Affairs):


https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/ukraines-war-endurance 


Ukraine struck $100 million Russian Nebo-U radar system in
occupied Crimea, General Staff claims (Kyiv Independent):


https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-says-it-struck-100-million-russian-nebo-u-radar-system-in-occupied-crimea/ 


Ukraine’s survival still an ‘open question’, Kyiv mayor warns
(Financial Times):


https://www.ft.com/content/a140cba5-d36c-47b7-95cb-57218fa5874c 


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