BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is preparing a large-scale assault against Ukraine, urging citizens across the country to remain alert and immediately respond to air raid warnings as Russian attacks continued to claim civilian lives and damage critical infrastructure.
In his nightly video address on Saturday, Zelensky issued one of his strongest public warnings in recent weeks, saying intelligence indicated that Russia was preparing a major wave of attacks in the coming hours. He urged Ukrainians not to ignore emergency alerts and to seek shelter whenever sirens sounded.
“Tonight and in the coming hours, it is especially important to pay close attention to air raid warnings,” Zelensky said. “The Russians have prepared for a massive attack. Please take care of yourselves.”
The warning came as Russian forces launched fresh strikes across multiple regions of Ukraine, killing at least six people and injuring many others. The attacks underscored the continued intensity of the war, which has seen Russia carry out increasingly frequent missile, drone, and glide bomb assaults on Ukrainian cities and towns.
One of the deadliest attacks on Saturday struck the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces reportedly dropped a series of glide bombs on residential areas. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said the city was hit by nine separate strikes, killing five people and injuring at least 10 others.
The bombardment caused extensive destruction, damaging apartment buildings, homes, and other civilian infrastructure. Emergency crews rushed to search through damaged structures, assist the injured, and extinguish fires caused by the explosions. Local authorities warned that the casualty toll could rise as rescue operations continued.
Elsewhere in northeastern Ukraine, another civilian was killed in a bomb attack on the outskirts of the border city of Sumy. Officials said communities near the Russian border continue to face almost daily bombardments as Russian forces intensify pressure in the region.
In the southern Kherson region, authorities reported that a Russian drone attack on a village north of the regional capital also claimed one civilian life. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian drones continue targeting populated areas despite the absence of military objectives, forcing thousands of residents to live under constant threat.
Meanwhile, in the central city of Poltava, Russian shelling injured three children. Local officials said emergency responders provided medical treatment while authorities assessed the extent of the damage to residential neighborhoods affected by the attack.
The latest wave of strikes follows several weeks of intensified Russian bombardments against Ukrainian cities, including repeated attacks on the capital, Kyiv. Earlier in the week, a series of nationwide missile and drone strikes killed at least 10 people and caused widespread destruction across several regions.
Among the sites damaged during those attacks was the historic Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv, one of Ukraine’s oldest and most significant religious landmarks. Founded more than a thousand years ago, the monastery is widely regarded as a symbol of the country’s spiritual and cultural heritage. Damage to the historic complex sparked renewed condemnation from Ukrainian officials, who accused Russia of targeting sites of cultural importance alongside civilian infrastructure.
As Russia continues its long-range bombing campaign, Ukraine has also expanded its own operations inside Russian territory using domestically produced long-range drones.
President Zelensky said Ukrainian forces successfully carried out another strike on an oil refinery in Russia’s Tyumen region in western Siberia on Saturday. He also noted that Ukrainian drones had targeted Moscow’s oil refinery twice during the past week as part of Kyiv’s broader strategy of disrupting Russia’s energy infrastructure.
Ukraine has increasingly focused on attacking oil refineries, fuel storage facilities, and other energy-related targets inside Russia. Officials in Kyiv argue that reducing Russia’s refining capacity weakens its ability to sustain military operations while limiting revenues that help finance the war.
The exchange of long-range attacks has become a defining feature of the conflict, with both countries increasingly striking targets far from the front lines. Russia continues to rely heavily on missiles, drones, and glide bombs to target Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine has expanded its use of domestically developed drones capable of reaching strategic facilities deep inside Russian territory.
Military analysts say the latest warning from President Zelensky reflects growing concerns that Russia may be preparing another coordinated missile and drone barrage similar to previous large-scale attacks that have overwhelmed Ukrainian air defenses and caused significant civilian casualties.
Despite the ongoing bombardments, Ukrainian authorities continue urging residents to remain vigilant and follow civil defense procedures whenever air raid alarms are activated. Emergency services across the country remain on heightened alert as officials prepare for the possibility of another large-scale overnight assault.
More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, fighting continues across multiple fronts, with both sides escalating long-range attacks while battles persist in eastern and southern Ukraine. The renewed warnings from Kyiv highlight the continuing danger facing civilians as the conflict enters another period of heightened military activity.