Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Chronology of Major Developments, Day 1,266 | Updates on Ukraine-Russia War

Key events from day 1,266 of Russia’s war in Ukraine:

Fighting

• A Russian attack in Shakhove, Donetsk region, killed one civilian and injured another, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin’s Telegram post.
• Russian forces bombed Bilozerske, Donetsk region, overnight, resulting in two deaths and seven injuries, including a 16-year-old boy, reports the regional prosecutor’s office.
• The AFP reports Ukrainian evacuation from Bilozerske due to Russian advances, alongside Russian progress in Nikanorivka, Shcherbynivka, and near Petrivka in Donetsk, as per DeepState battlefield monitoring.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is seeking Ukraine’s withdrawal from the entire Donetsk region as part of a potential ceasefire, ahead of the upcoming talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.
• The Ukrainian General Staff mentioned intense fighting near Pokrovsk and Dobropillia in Donetsk, with a need for reinforcements against Russian troop movements.
• Ukraine’s SBU intelligence reported that Ukrainian drones struck a Russian long-range drone storage facility in Kzyl-Yul, Tatarstan.
• A person died from injuries sustained in a Ukrainian drone strike in Arzamas, Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia, according to TASS.
• IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi reported observations of smoke at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, with no radiation increase or casualties noted.
• Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed to have shot down six guided bombs and 179 drones within 24 hours, according to TASS.

Ceasefire

• Zelenskyy called the upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska a “personal victory” for Putin, viewing it as a diplomatic achievement on US territory and a delay in sanctions.
• He also mentioned receiving a preliminary signal from US envoy Steve Witkoff on potential Russian willingness for a ceasefire, but provided no details.
• White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that the Anchorage meeting aims for President Trump to gain a better understanding of how to end the war.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the meeting, reaffirming their commitment to its success.

Politics and Diplomacy

• Putin discussed his meeting with Trump with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, praising North Korea’s support in the “liberation of the Kursk Region,” according to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Zelenskyy held calls with the leaders and representatives of Turkiye, Qatar, Romania, and the Netherlands on Tuesday.