🇺🇦🇷🇺 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly stated that Ukrainian forces will not withdraw from the Donbas region. “We will not leave Donbas. If we withdraw voluntarily or under pressure, we will ignite a third war.”

The Ukrainian president also declined to discuss any potential territorial exchanges with Russia but indirectly expressed interest in participating in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

🇺🇦🇷🇺 Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) Director Vasyl Malyuk stated that Operation “Spiderweb”, which was carried out from inside Russia on 1 June and resulted in the destruction of multiple Russian bombers, was postponed for one month due to Russian truck drivers engaging in celebrations during the May holidays.

🇺🇸🇷🇺 According to CNN, the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place this week on August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (EDF) in Anchorage, Alaska, a US Army installation in the southern part of the state.

The network reported that US officials were surprised when the Russian president agreed to meet on American soil that was formerly under Russian control.

🇺🇸🇪🇺 US President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that he will meet with European leaders in a short while to discuss the US-Russia Summit, describing them as “great people” who want to see a deal done.

🇺🇸🇧🇭 The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), flagship of Carrier Strike Group 11, along with Carrier Air Wing 17 and the destroyers USS Gridley (DDG-101) and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), arrived in Manama, Bahrain, for a scheduled port visit at the headquarters of US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet.

The carrier is accompanied by a fleet of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets. This is the first visit by an aircraft carrier to Bahrain since 2020, when Nimitz last made port there. The Nimitz and its crew are scheduled to shift homeport to Norfolk, Virginia, by April 2026 ahead of deactivation.

🇮🇱🇺🇸 The Israel Defense Forces stated that Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir held a conversation yesterday with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General Dan Caine, and the incoming Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper.

🇺🇦🇷🇺 A Ukrainian missile/drone strike reportedly targeted a helipad at an airfield near the 357th Air Force Training Center in Yakovlevsky District, Belgorod, Western Russia, resulting in black smoke observed over the area.

🇺🇸🇺🇦🇪🇺 US President Donald Trump informed European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he is not from the region and cannot make final decisions on territorial matters, but indicated that land swaps may be necessary as part of a peace agreement.

Trump also stated that his objectives for the upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday are to secure a ceasefire and assess whether a comprehensive peace deal is achievable, according to Axios.

🇩🇪🇪🇺🇺🇦 German Chancellor Merz stated during a briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, following a call with US President Donald Trump and European Union leaders, that European representatives emphasized Ukraine must participate in any follow-up meetings in Alaska next Friday. Chancellor Merz outlined five key points:

1. Negotiations must follow the correct sequence, beginning with a ceasefire.
2. Ukraine is willing to discuss territorial matters.
3. The “contact line” should serve as the starting point for discussions.
4. Robust security guarantees must ensure that Ukrainian forces can defend the sovereignty of their country.
5. Negotiations should be part of a broader strategic approach, supporting Ukraine while maintaining pressure on Russia.

🇺🇸🇷🇺 Asked whether Russia would face consequences if Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t agree to end the war in Ukraine following the meeting on Friday in Alaska, US President Donald Trump responded that there will be severe consequences.

🇺🇸🇷🇺 Trump stated that if the initial meeting proceeds successfully, he would like to hold a second meeting immediately, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and himself, should they wish for his participation.

Trump indicated that a second meeting will not take place if he does not receive the answers he seeks.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦 According to reports from the Wall Street Journal and the Telegraph, US President Donald Trump will not discuss territorial issues at his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, in that his primary goal is to secure a ceasefire.

Ahead of the summit, Trump coordinated “red lines” with European leaders and positioned the meeting as the first stage of broader negotiations, with a potential second round to be held in Russia.

As part of efforts to end the war, Trump is expected to propose the minerals deal again, giving Moscow access to the rare earth minerals in the Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russian Army, and considers offering Russia opportunities to tap into the valuable natural resources including oil and gas reserves in the Bering Strait which separates it from the US, West of Alaska.

🇺🇸🇷🇺 The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a VIP-type Notice-to-Airmen (NOTAM) in Anchorage, Alaska, starting from August 15 at 1715 to August 16 at 0015, ahead of the Friday meeting between US President Trump and Russian President Vladimer Putin regarding a peace deal in Ukraine.

🇮🇱🇾🇪 The Israel Air Force (IAF) successfully intercepted a ballistic missile (probably of the type Palestine-2) launched by the Houthis in Western Yemen, causing several explosions in the air.

Flights in Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport were temporarily suspended and have been resumed now.

🇺🇦🇷🇺 Overnight, operators of the 14th Separate Regiment of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces conducted a drone strike against the Luk Oil Refinery in Volgograd, Russia, located over 500 kilometers from the front line.

The refinery is among the ten largest in Russia, with an annual processing capacity exceeding 15 million tons of crude. The attack resulted in a large-scale fire across the facility, with Russian sources report the blaze continues to intensify.

🇷🇺🇺🇸❗️Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov stated that preparations for the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have entered their final phase, with the program of the talks agreed upon.

Ushakov noted that the presidents will first hold a one-on-one meeting followed by discussions with their delegations, with the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine serving as the central topic.

The meeting is scheduled to begin Friday at 22:30 Moscow time (19:30 UTC & 11:30 in Anchorage) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska and will conclude with a joint press conference.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that President Putin held a meeting with senior Russian leadership, government officials, and presidential administration representatives as part of preparations.

🇷🇺🇺🇸 An Ilyushin Il-96-300 aircraft (RA-96023) of the Presidential Russian Special Flight Squadron (RSD) with callsign RSD381 is currently en route from Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) to US Air Force Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, likely transporting staff and diplomats ahead of the Friday meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

🇷🇺🇺🇸 Russian state media released footage from inside the Ilyushin Il-96-300 aircraft (RA-96023) prior to its departure from Vnukovo International Airport (VKO), Moscow.

As noted before, the plane was carrying journalists and support staff ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in Anchorage, Alaska, for the upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump.