Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,453

On February 16, 2026, day 1,453 of the Russia-Ukraine war, fighting continued with both sides launching attacks. Russian forces struck multiple regions in Ukraine, including Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa, causing injuries and damaging infrastructure, leaving some without heat. Ukraine targeted a key oil terminal in the Krasnodar region of Russia, near Crimea, and launched a drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Taman, causing damage and fires. Russia claimed to have captured the village of Tsvitkove in the Zaporizhia region, while Ukrainian attacks left areas in the Bryansk region of Russia without heat and electricity. Russian air defenses also downed drones approaching Moscow.

Russian army chief Valery Gerasimov visited troops in Ukraine and announced that Russian forces had seized 12 villages in eastern Ukraine during the first two weeks of February 2026. The announcement, made by the defense ministry, comes ahead of US-mediated talks in Geneva aimed at ending the nearly four-year war. Gerasimov noted the advances occurred despite severe winter conditions. While the pace of Russia's advance has increased since autumn, they have yet to achieve their goal of capturing the entire Donetsk region. Russia is demanding Kyiv withdraw from Donetsk as a condition for ending the conflict, a demand Ukraine rejects.