🇩🇪🇪🇺🇺🇦 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.

🇷🇺🇺🇦 Ukrainian Navy intelligence intercepted radio communication indicating that the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) lost contact with a Su-30SM fighter jet operating southeast of Snake Island in the Black Sea.

Russian forces have launched a search and rescue operation, with debris spotted on the sea surface, though the pilots have not yet been located.

🇷🇺🇺🇸 Two Ilyushin Il-96-300PU aircraft of the Presidential Russian Special Flight Squadron, with callsigns RSD411 (RA-96022) departing from St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport and RSD311 (RA-96024) departing from Vnukovo International Airport (VKO), have taken off and are most likely en route to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska.

A third aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-96-300 with callsign RSD381 that landed in Anchorage earlier today, diverted to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport (Elizovo Airport) in Kamchatka, Far Eastern Russia, likely to pick up Russian President Vladimir Putin for his flight to Anchorage.

🇺🇸🇷🇺 Trump’s Team en route to Anchorage, Alaska.

🔗 MenchOsint

🇮🇱🇱🇧 The Israel Air Force conducted multiple airstrikes targeting Hezbollah underground tunnels and infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, as well as several locations in southern Lebanon, resulting in multiple explosions.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦 When asked shortly before departing for Alaska aboard Air Force One whether territorial swaps would be discussed in the upcoming negotiations with Russia, US President Donald Trump stated that the issue will be addressed but added that the decision rests with Ukraine, saying that he is not negotiating on Ukraine’s behalf but working to bring the parties to the table.