Russia continues drone strikes against Ukrainian cities, resulting in casualties and significant damage, including fatalities from a recent attack on a warehouse near Kyiv
Photo : AP
Ukraine says it has intelligence that Russia is planning and preparing for possible new ground offensives against the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv. Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, told reporters that Russian military commanders had been instructed by the country’s political leadership to plan and prepare attacks on the two cities.
He said the intelligence had been received and verified by Ukraine.
However, Palisa said there was currently no evidence that Russian troops were massing for the attacks. Ukraine’s priority, he said, was to “prevent the creation of conditions for the Russians to be able to launch any offensive actions at all”.
Russian forces previously attempted to advance on Kyiv during the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The assault was launched in part from neighbouring Belarus but was eventually repelled by Ukrainian forces.
The latest warning comes amid reports that Russia is testing its ability to mobilise additional troops.
A Wall Street Journal report said Russia was testing its readiness for another round of military mobilisation. The Kremlin is also reportedly losing more troops in Ukraine than it is recruiting, while concerns are growing that Moscow could announce a new mobilisation effort.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday that “escalation from Russia’s side is progressing”.
He made the comments after a briefing with Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte. They came days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow and warned Russian officials against escalating the conflict with America’s Nato allies.
Tusk said Ukraine needed more air support and warned that the next six months “will be decisive”. “We must be prepared as Poland and NATO for various scenarios,” he said.
Russian Attacks Intensify
The warnings over possible ground offensives come as Russia continues to launch drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Kyiv was facing a “virtually nonstop attack from jet-powered drones”.
In a video address on Friday, he said Ukraine needed to “significantly accelerate” production of interceptors capable of destroying Iranian-designed Shahed drones.
At least 37 people have been killed after a Russian drone struck a warehouse near Kyiv’s western suburbs that was storing “explosive objects”, according to Ukrainian officials.
The strike damaged at least 50 residential buildings and caused a large fire and a series of explosions in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region.
A care home for elderly and disabled people was among the buildings damaged.
Regional governor Tymur Tkachenko said 42 people, including four children, were injured.
More than 370 people were evacuated from the area, Zelenskyy said, adding that the evacuation operation was continuing. He said a warehouse in the town of Myla had been hit, “followed by a detonation”.
According to Zelenskyy, the facility was a Ukrainian military depot used to store shells, drones and other ammunition. “The first impact was on a place where ammunition was being stored that absolutely should not have been there – a depot of the defence forces,” he said. “[There was] detonation of shells, mines, other munitions and drones on a significant scale,” he added.
Zelenskyy said criminal proceedings had been opened over alleged official negligence. “There are regulations in place; ammunition cannot be stored near homes or other residential areas,” he said.
