Ukraine has received fresh intelligence indicating that Russia is preparing a “massive strike”, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday, as Kyiv rushed to strengthen air defences and protect critical logistics infrastructure.
The warning came after Zelensky held a coordination meeting with government officials, military commanders and emergency services to prepare for what he described as a Russian operation targeting Ukraine’s logistics.
“We received updated intelligence today regarding Russian preparations for a massive strike. We are preparing countermeasures,” Zelensky said after the meeting.
The Ukrainian president did not provide details of when the suspected attack could take place, what weapons Russia might use or which facilities could be targeted.
But officials have already begun implementing the most urgent measures agreed during the meeting, with deadlines set for a substantial proportion of the tasks.
The preparations underline the continuing pressure on Ukraine’s air-defence network after more than four years of Russian missile and drone attacks.
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Air defence was a central focus of Tuesday’s discussions, with Ukraine’s defence minister and Air Force commander briefing Zelensky on the deployment of available systems and the organisation of defensive coverage around designated key facilities.
Zelensky said Kyiv was also securing ammunition for its F-16 fighter jets, interception capabilities and interceptor missiles.
The most difficult challenge, however, remained ballistic missile defence.
“The most difficult issue is defending against ballistic missiles, and the availability of these supplies depends entirely on our partners,” Zelensky said.
“We are working with them daily.”
The warning comes as Russia continues to use large-scale missile and drone attacks to strike Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, placing sustained pressure on a defence network that Kyiv says remains heavily dependent on Western assistance.
The reference to ballistic missiles is particularly significant because they can give defenders substantially less warning than slower-moving drones, while sophisticated interception systems remain expensive and limited in number.
Ukraine has repeatedly sought additional air-defence systems and interceptor missiles from its western allies as Russia expands the scale and complexity of its aerial attacks.
Zelensky also said Russian forces had attacked several hospitals in Kramatorsk and Kryvyi Rih during the preceding 24 hours.
“The emergency services responded effectively, and it is important that the State Emergency Service of Ukraine responds promptly to every such situation in all of our regions. Thank you for your professional work!” he said.
The latest warning leaves Ukrainian authorities preparing for a potentially significant Russian operation without publicly disclosing the intelligence underpinning their assessment.
For Kyiv, the immediate priority is therefore not only intercepting missiles and drones but ensuring that critical infrastructure, logistics networks and emergency services can continue functioning if another large-scale attack materialises.
The episode also highlights the central dilemma facing Ukraine’s air-defence strategy: its ability to absorb another major Russian strike depends not only on the systems already deployed around Ukrainian cities and strategic facilities, but on the continued supply of missiles and ammunition from its western partners.
As Zelensky put it, the most difficult part of the problem is one Ukraine cannot solve alone.
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