Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued an urgent warning that Russia is preparing a 'massive' missile attack on Ukraine within the next 48 hours. In a post on X, he stated that intelligence indicates Moscow has 'readied missiles' and urged citizens to heed air raid alerts.
The warning comes after a deadly Russian missile strike on the Kyiv region on Friday killed at least 10 people and injured around 100 more. The attack reportedly targeted an arms exhibition attended by representatives of Ukraine's defence industry. In a separate incident, guided aerial bombs struck the city of Sloviansk, killing five people, according to Zelenskyy.
The Latvian consulate in Sloviansk was damaged in the strikes, a fact confirmed by Latvia's foreign minister. Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, responded on social media, saying the attack on the consulate 'underscores Moscow’s utter disregard for international law' and that 'Latvia has our full support.'
Diplomatic manoeuvres ahead of Washington meeting
Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week, as both countries continue to discuss peace proposals to end the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he had spoken with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, about efforts to end the conflict. He described the conversation as 'a good and important conversation about how to energize diplomacy and bring peace closer.'
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' summit in the Philippines. According to the Kremlin, Lavrov warned Washington against continuing arms sales to Kyiv, stating that 'it would be unacceptable to further arm the Kyiv regime.' Rubio described the meeting as a 'good' and 'frank' conversation but declined to provide further details. When asked about the Kremlin's statement, Rubio said: 'We sell arms via PURL, which is an initiative we have through NATO and that's what we're involved in. There's been no change to our policy in that regard.'
This latest escalation underscores the fragile security situation across Europe. For more on regional security threats, see our report on a UK man sentenced for plotting an attack on a defence academy. The incident also highlights the broader pattern of Russian aggression, as detailed in our coverage of Lavrov's warning to Rubio over arms sales.
As the war enters its fourth year, the human and material toll continues to mount. The European Union has consistently condemned the attacks and provided support to Ukraine, but the prospect of a renewed Russian offensive raises concerns about further destabilisation on the continent's eastern flank.
