Day 1,194 of the Russia-Ukraine War: Key Events and Insights Amidst Growing Tensions in Eastern Europe

Key developments on the 1,194th day of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

As of Monday, June 2, 2025, here’s the latest update:

Military Engagements

• Ukraine announced the destruction of Russian bombers valued at $7 billion in a bold airstrike, the furthest operation to date, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera journalist Dorsa Jabbari described the “simultaneous large-scale operation” as being initiated from inside Russia, specifically aimed at aircraft involved in assaults against Ukraine.
• An official from Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency revealed to Reuters that this complex operation involved concealing drone explosives within wooden shed roofs, which were then transported close to airbase perimeters, resulting in strikes on at least 41 Russian warplanes.
• Contrarily, Russia’s TASS agency claimed there were no reported military or civilian casualties and that some individuals involved in the operation were apprehended.
• This attack coincided with the news that Russia launched a record 472 drones against Ukraine overnight, marking the highest single-night tally since the conflict began. Additionally, seven missiles were fired.
• A separate missile attack targeting a Ukrainian military training ground resulted in the tragic deaths of 12 soldiers and injuries to over 60, as reported by Ukraine’s Ground Forces.
• The resulting turmoil led to the resignation of Ukrainian Ground Forces commander Mykhailo Drapatyi, who cited a “personal sense of responsibility” for the casualties.
• In an unexpected incident, at least seven individuals died and 69 were injured when a bridge in Russia’s Bryansk region collapsed onto a train; Russian authorities attributed the collapse to “unauthorized interference” with transportation.
• A second bridge failure caused a freight train to derail in Kursk, another region adjacent to Ukraine, injuring the engineer, according to local officials.
• Additionally, debris from a Ukrainian drone strike on Kursk ignited fires in residential areas, prompting further concerns from authorities.

Political Developments

• President Zelenskyy confirmed the dispatch of a delegation, spearheaded by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, for a second round of peace discussions commencing today in Istanbul, Turkey.
• Vladimir Medinsky, the former cultural minister leading Russia’s delegation, announced that Moscow had received Ukraine’s proposed peace memorandum, as reported by TASS.
• However, Zelenskyy stated that Russia has yet to provide its version of the memorandum, emphasizing that neither Turkey nor the United States have access to this document.
• In a recent development, TASS reported a conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. official Marco Rubio, discussing several initiatives aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis, including today’s discussions.
• In Poland, preliminary election data signals a tightly contested presidential runoff, emphasizing assistance to Ukraine, potential NATO membership, and the status of Ukrainian refugees as critical themes.