Zelenskyy warns Russia may launch massive Ukraine attack within 48 hours

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that intelligence indicates Russia may launch a new large-scale missile attack within 48 hours, urging people across Ukraine to heed air-raid alerts and seek shelter without delay.

The warning followed a Russian ballistic missile strike on a defense industry gathering in the Kyiv region that killed at least 10 people and injured nearly 100. Additional Russian attacks were reported in Sloviansk, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia during the same period.

Intelligence points to attack within 48 hours

Zelenskyy issued the warning on the evening of July 24, saying information obtained by Ukrainian intelligence and international partners suggested that Russia had prepared missiles for another major attack.

He did not identify the cities that could be targeted, the types of missiles that might be used or the precise timing of the possible operation.

“Please take care of yourselves and pay attention to air-raid alerts,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian authorities regularly urge residents to enter shelters immediately after an alert is issued. The warning is particularly important during ballistic missile attacks because the time between detection and impact may be extremely short.

According to Euronews, the intelligence assessment indicated that the attack could take place within 48 hours of Zelenskyy’s announcement.

Kyiv-region strike kills 10 at defense industry gathering

Hours before Zelenskyy’s warning, a Russian ballistic missile struck a site in the Kyiv region where representatives of Ukraine’s defense and drone-manufacturing sectors had gathered.

Ukrainian authorities said rescue operations were completed after at least 10 people were killed and nearly 100 others were injured. Residential buildings and vehicles near the site were also damaged.

Reuters and The Associated Press reported that the event brought together representatives of companies operating in Ukraine’s drone and defense industries.

Ukrainian prosecutors opened an investigation to determine whether the event was organized without sufficient security precautions during wartime.

Zelenskyy said Russia was responsible for the deaths but also criticized the decision to hold a crowded defense industry event close to residential buildings.

He said gatherings involving defense manufacturers and strategically important industries should take place only under the highest possible security measures.

Sloviansk hit by guided aerial bombs

Russian forces also attacked Sloviansk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region with guided aerial bombs on July 24.

Zelenskyy said five people were killed in the Sloviansk attacks. Local authorities initially reported that nine people were injured in the first strike and another 16 were injured in a later attack.

Later reports published by some international media outlets placed the death toll at six, indicating that casualty figures may have been updated after the initial official statements.

The attacks damaged homes, businesses and vehicles, as well as the building housing Latvia’s Honorary Consulate in Sloviansk.

Latvia’s Foreign Ministry said the consular building was seriously damaged by a Russian guided aerial bomb. Two people working at the premises were reported injured.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the attack and said the damage to the consular building demonstrated Moscow’s disregard for international law.

Kallas said the European Union stood in solidarity with Latvia and would continue to provide its full support.

Attacks spread to Sumy and Zaporizhzhia

Russian attacks were also reported in northern and southeastern Ukraine.

In the Sumy region, a Russian drone struck a facility associated with a private Ukrainian delivery company. Regional authorities said three drivers were killed in the attack.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had targeted a Ukrainian drone storage and launch site in the area.

The competing descriptions of the target could not be independently verified.

In Zaporizhzhia, another Russian attack caused a fire at a shopping center. Nearby buildings and vehicles were also damaged.

Russia says its operations target Ukrainian military and defense industry infrastructure. Ukraine says Russian missiles, drones and guided bombs repeatedly strike civilian areas and cause extensive casualties.

Claims made by the opposing sides regarding the targets and consequences of individual attacks cannot always be independently confirmed during active fighting.

Washington and Kyiv continue diplomatic talks

Zelenskyy’s warning came as Ukraine and the United States continued diplomatic discussions aimed at ending the war.

According to Euronews, Zelenskyy is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week. The talks are expected to include possible peace proposals, security guarantees for Ukraine and continued military assistance.

Zelenskyy said he had also spoken with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner about efforts to revive diplomatic negotiations and move closer to peace.

The Ukrainian president described the discussions as important and productive.

Kyiv has repeatedly said that any peace agreement must include binding security guarantees capable of preventing Russia from launching another invasion or renewed attacks.

Russia, meanwhile, says Ukraine must abandon its goal of joining NATO, stop receiving Western weapons and accept Moscow’s conditions regarding Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces.

Lavrov and Rubio discuss weapons supplies

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers’ meeting in the Philippines.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Lavrov briefed Rubio on the situation along the front and objected to continued US and NATO weapons supplies to Ukraine.

Rubio described the meeting as direct and constructive but did not disclose detailed negotiating positions.

Asked whether Washington had changed its policy on arms supplies to Ukraine, Rubio said weapons transfers were continuing through NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative, known as PURL.

He added that the United States wanted a negotiated peace agreement and an end to the war.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, continues as military attacks and diplomatic contacts proceed simultaneously.

Following Zelenskyy’s 48-hour warning, Ukrainian authorities and residents are closely monitoring air-raid alerts, official security announcements and air defense activity across the country.

WiseNewsPress.com