Zelenskyy Warns Russia Is Preparing a Massive Strike Timed to the US Midterms

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on 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 historic vote to unleash strikes while the world's attention is elsewhere.

In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said: 'We have intel that Russia is preparing a new massive attack on our country — primarily targeting energy and logistics.'

He said Moscow's assumption is that tomorrow the world will be watching the American midterms, and that what is happening in Ukraine, along with its difficulties with air defense and Patriot missiles, will be overlooked.

The warning came as US 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.

Hours before the warning, Russian forces struck a school being used to distribute humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha, a settlement in southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region. According to Ukrainian media reports, at least 26 people, including police officers and first responders, were killed, five others were injured and others remained missing.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy urged the United States 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,' he wrote. 'We must not play games with Russia's oil or gas revenues. We must put pressure on Russia in such a way that it has no alternative but to end this war. America can do this.'

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.

In a Sunday interview, Zelenskyy said 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.

According to Reuters, the State Department has approved the potential sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion. The proposed sale could provide a significant boost to Ukraine's air defenses if finalized, although the delivery timeline is uncertain.

Also on Monday, Ukraine accused Moscow of exploiting a US-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, which the White House said First Lady Melania Trump helped broker. Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement on X that its forces observed the ceasefire, while the enemy used the pause to rotate troops, reinforce defenses and improve battlefield logistics.