BLACKWATER USA | DAILY BRIEF - Blackwater Worldwide

Posted by BW Actual on Feb 3rd 2026

Ukraine

The Financial Times reported that Ukraine agreed to a plan for the U.S. and European Union (EU) to enforce a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire by coordinating a military response if Russia repeatedly violates the terms of the truce.
As if to signal how seriously Pres. Putin will take a truce even if it's backed by a U.S.-EU enforcement mechanism, Russia struck Ukrainian energy infrastructure in Kyiv overnight - despite Pres. Trump's request for a pause on such attacks because of freezing temperatures.

Sudan

A new NYT report described a massive drone base Egypt quietly built near its southern border with Sudan last year that's now being used to launch drone attacks on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.
As the NYT notes, the new base is significant because: "Egypt, until recently, was mostly a diplomatic player in Sudan. But the drone activity suggests it has entered the fight alongside Sudan’s military."
It's not clear whether Egyptian or Sudanese operators are flying the drones. Either way, stationing them in Egypt raises the odds that the RSF - which is backed by the UAE - will strike them there, thus potentially drawing Egypt into a broader regional war.
According to Egyptian and Sudanese officials, Egypt's Pres. Al Sisi was motivated to bolster the military's side after El Fasher fell to the RSF in October.
Al Sisi called that a "red line" and expressed serious concerns about the wave of refugees that would flood into Egypt if the RSF continued to gain the upper hand. Turkish drones - apparently based over the border in Egypt - began to strafe RSF contingents shortly thereafter.

Pakistan

Al Jazeera speculated about why Pakistan is so keen to stamp out unrest in Balochistan - and to blame its geopolitical nemesis, India, for causing it.
Balochistan is home to the richest mineral deposits in Pakistan, with an estimated 75% of the country's total mineral wealth. Islamabad has been actively dangling the restive province's underground riches before U.S. and Chinese investors.
China has already invested heavily in major projects in the province, including the deep-water port at Gwadar that exports from southwestern China rely on. It has also planned vast new investments in the area.
Islamabad desperately wants to ensure its American and Chinese partners aren't scared off by insecurity in Balochistan - hence its feverish efforts to stamp out separatist activity there.