Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Monday that Russia is preparing a “massive attack” on Ukraine centered on Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States, accusing Moscow of seeking to exploit the historical vote to unleash strikes while the world’s attention is elsewhere.
The Ukrainian leader’s warning came as voters prepared to decide which party controls Congress, a result that could also influence Washington’s future response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s almost five-year war in Ukraine.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy went on to urge the Trump administration to increase pressure on Moscow, warning that Russia could exploit the elections to target Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure and supply routes.
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“We have intel that Russia is preparing a new massive attack on our country – primarily targeting energy and logistics,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
“The assumption is basically that tomorrow the world will be watching the American midterms, and what is happening here in Ukraine, along with our difficulties with air defense and Patriot missiles, will be overlooked.”
Zelenskyy’s warning came hours after Russian forces struck a school being used to distribute humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha, a settlement in southeastern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.
At least 26 people, including police officers and first responders, were killed, five others were injured and others remained missing, according to the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
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In his X post, Zelenskyy urged the U.S. and its allies to warn Putin that continued attacks on Ukraine would bring serious economic consequences.
“We need signals from the world to Russia that will make them feel that terror is no good, that it will bring no gains, and that as long as this war continues, their oil will burn, and they will not be able to make money doing business with the world,” Zelenskyy warned.
“We must not play games with Russia’s oil or gas revenues,” he added.
“We must put pressure on Russia in such a way that it has no alternative but to end this war. America can do this.”
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President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has sought to negotiate an end to the war with the help of special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, both of whom have been involved in diplomatic efforts with Moscow.
Zelenskyy told Fox News in a Sunday interview that Ukraine would suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries for a month if Washington provided Patriot missile interceptors during the same period, potentially opening the door to diplomacy.
The State Department approved the potential sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, according to Reuters.
The proposed sale could provide a significant boost to Ukraine’s air defenses if finalized, although the delivery timeline is uncertain.
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On Monday, Ukraine also accused Moscow of exploiting a U.S.-backed humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, to strengthen Russian military positions.
Nearly 800 people were evacuated during the six-day humanitarian pause, according to first lady Melania Trump, with the White House clarifying that she helped broker the arrangement.
Ukraine’s General Staff accused Russian forces of using the humanitarian pause to rotate troops, reinforce their defenses and improve battlefield logistics.
“Under the ceasefire introduced for the humanitarian operation in Oleshky, units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine ensured that the ceasefire was observed and acted exclusively within the framework of the agreements reached,” the General Staff said in a statement on X.
“The enemy, by contrast, used the humanitarian pause to improve its positions.”