A source close to Naypyidaw told Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) that Myanmar junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and his deputy Soe Win have been absent from state functions since January 27, 2026, two days after the military's 2025-26 elections concluded, as reported in a DVB article shared between 12:45 PM and 3:45 PM UTC on February 3, 2026. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu met Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and delivered a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulating him on the junta's election, which has been widely rejected as a sham, according to The Irrawaddy. The meeting occurred earlier on the same day within the reporting window. In Myawaddy, some Border Guard Force (BGF) members who had adopted Karen National Army (KNA) badges reverted to their original BGF emblems and posts during this three-hour period, with not all factions making the shift, as reported by BNIOline. Separately, the United League of Arakan (ULA)/Arakan Army (AA) announced recruitment for its School of Nursing and School of Public Policy & Administration, targeting Rakhine residents under 25 and seeking teachers, IT staff, and clerks, per BNIOline. Timor Leste opened legal proceedings against the Myanmar military for widespread crimes against humanity since the 2021 coup, as stated by The Irrawaddy in a post shared during the window. On February 1, 2026, 15 female inmates at Mawleik Prison in Sagaing's Kale District were placed in solitary confinement for singing a revolutionary song marking the fifth anniversary of the 2021 coup, according to the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar and reported by The Irrawaddy. These developments follow resistance rocket attacks on junta positions in Yedashe Township on February 1, 2026, by People's Defence Forces and allies using 107 mm rockets, as previously reported.
