Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Russia may be preparing a major assault on Ukraine, potentially timing it to coincide with the U.S. midterm elections. He warned that Moscow could take advantage of the world’s focus on the vote to attack while Ukraine faces shortages of air-defense support.
The elections will determine control of Congress and could shape Washington’s future approach to Russia’s nearly five-year war in Ukraine. In a post on X, Zelenskyy called on the Trump administration to increase pressure on Moscow, saying Russian forces may target Ukraine’s energy facilities and supply routes.
“We have intelligence that Russia is preparing a new massive attack on our country, primarily targeting energy and logistics,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address. He added that Moscow may expect the international community to be distracted by the U.S. elections and pay less attention to Ukraine’s difficulties obtaining air defenses and Patriot missiles.
His warning followed a Russian strike on a school in Komyshuvakha, in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, where humanitarian aid was being distributed. At least 26 people, including police officers and emergency responders, were killed. Five others were injured, and some people were still missing, Ukrainian reports said.
Zelenskyy also urged the United States and its allies to make clear that further attacks would carry serious economic costs for Russia. He said Moscow should not be allowed to profit from oil and gas exports while the war continues, and argued that Washington has the ability to apply enough pressure to push Russia toward ending the conflict.
President Donald Trump has been pursuing negotiations to end the war, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner involved in diplomatic efforts with Moscow. In a Sunday interview, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would pause strikes on Russian oil refineries for a month if the United States supplied Patriot missile interceptors over the same period.
The State Department has approved a possible sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors to Ukraine, estimated to cost $2.1 billion. If completed, the deal could strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, though it is not clear when the missiles would arrive.
Ukraine also accused Russia on Monday of using a U.S.-backed humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, in the southern Kherson region, to improve its military positions. Nearly 800 people were evacuated during the six-day pause, which the White House said Melania Trump helped arrange.
Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces observed the ceasefire and followed the agreed terms, while Russian troops used the pause to rotate personnel, reinforce defenses and improve logistics.
