Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing a “massive new strike” on Ukraine, urging citizens to “protect your lives” and heed air alerts. The warning follows one of the largest Russian bombardments since the 2022 invasion, which hit Kyiv particularly hard last weekend. Moscow has also warned foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv, threatening escalation in retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a dormitory and school in Russian-occupied Luhansk that reportedly killed 21 people.
Zelenskyy reiterated calls for allies to supply Patriot missile systems, which can intercept Russian ballistic missiles, and has written to Donald Trump and the US Congress requesting additional systems. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Belgorod region killed two people in a car and injured two others, according to local officials.
In a separate incident, a Russian drone struck an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galati, near the Ukrainian border, injuring a 14-year-old boy and a 53-year-old woman. Romania condemned the attack as a “serious and irresponsible escalation,” and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance was “ready to defend every inch” of its territory. The European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen stated that Russia’s “war of aggression” had “crossed yet another line,” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also condemned the violation of NATO airspace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, without evidence, suggested the drone could have been a stray Ukrainian weapon. He also claimed Russia has the means to destroy any attacker of the Kaliningrad exclave, following remarks by Lithuania’s foreign minister about NATO’s ability to penetrate the region. Additionally, the UN has added Russia to a blacklist for sexual violence in conflict, citing the rape of male detainees by security forces.
