Ukraine-Russia Conflict: 1,248 Days of Significant Events, Latest Updates on War between Ukraine and Russia
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Summary of key events on day 1,248 of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Situation update as of Saturday, July 26:
Combat Operations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that forces are experiencing intense fighting near Pokrovsk, a major logistical city in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has been claiming the capture of Ukrainian villages almost daily.
Ukraine’s chief military officer, Oleksandr Syrskii, labeled Pokrovsk and five other areas as particularly challenging sectors along the 1,000km front line with Russia.
Russia’s Defense Ministry previously announced the capture of two villages near Pokrovsk – Zvirove to the west and Novoekonomichne to the east – and declared a third area, Novotoretske, “liberated”.
Zelenskyy also reported ongoing Ukrainian operations in northern Sumy region’s border areas, where Russian forces have recently made progress.
According to the Ukrainian military blog DeepState, Kyiv’s troops have retaken the lost village of Kindrativka in Sumy.
Moscow is striving to create a “buffer zone” between Russia and Ukraine in Sumy, as per President Vladimir Putin.
Arms and Military Support
Zelenskyy visited a factory producing interceptor drones, which have proven effective against Russian airborne attacks. He set a goal to produce up to 1,000 drones daily.
Zelenskyy also mentioned efforts to secure international funding for 10 Patriot air defense systems under a recent agreement enabling European countries to donate US military equipment to Ukraine.
US has provided a $4bn loan guarantee for Poland to purchase American military equipment, aimed at supporting Ukraine indirectly.
Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is expected to be either sold or decommissioned, according to state shipbuilding corporation chairman Andrei Kostin.
Mourning at a farewell ceremony in Lviv, Ukraine, for 12 Ukrainian soldiers who died in Russian captivity [Mykola Tys/EPA]
Sanctions Imposed
US President Donald Trump mentioned the possibility of imposing secondary sanctions on Russia in response to the conflict in Ukraine.
Acting US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, called on all nations, especially China, to cease exports of dual-use items that could bolster Russia’s industrial and military capabilities.
China’s Deputy UN Ambassador Geng Shuang countered that China is not party to the conflict, doesn’t supply lethal weapons, and strictly controls the export of dual-use materials, including drones.
The European Parliament is considering proposals to expedite the European Union’s withdrawal from Russian gas by a year, planning for a complete cut by January 2027 and preparing for a legally-binding ban, according to Reuters.
Russia-backed Indian oil refiner Nayara Energy appointed Sergey Denisov as its new CEO following the resignation of Alessandro des Dorides in response to EU sanctions, as reported by Reuters.
Ceasefire Efforts
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed a willingness to speak with Trump and Putin to facilitate a leaders’ meeting in Istanbul to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that a summit between Putin and Zelenskyy is only possible as a final step to secure a peace agreement and its timing is unlikely to be by the end of August, as Ukraine had suggested.
Political and Diplomatic Developments
Ukraine’s head of anticorruption investigations, Semen Kryvonos, expects efforts to undermine his agency’s independence despite Zelenskyy’s U-turn on reducing the agencies’ autonomy, which sparked rare protests during wartime.
Trump stated he wishes to preserve the limits on US and Russian strategic nuclear weapon deployments established by the 2010 New START treaty, which will expire in February.
Regional Developments
Georgia hosted significant NATO military exercises, despite criticism its government is moving away from a pro-Western stance and drawing closer to Russia during the Ukraine conflict.
