Source: Zelenskyy’s Telegram channel
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after a meeting with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, intelligence officials, and the SBU that Ukrainian intelligence had obtained evidence that Russia is preparing a new missile and drone attack, including against “decision-making centers”.
According to Zelenskyy, about 20 political centers and military sites could be targeted. He said Ukraine would respond to every strike if people are killed as a result.
“We are responding in a completely just way against Russia’s oil industry, military production, and those individuals who directly commit war crimes against Ukraine and Ukrainians,” the Ukrainian president said.
Operations via Belarus
Zelenskyy also said that additional contacts had taken place in recent days between the Kremlin and Alexander Lukashenko. According to him, Russia is urging Belarus to join new military operations.
In particular, the Ukrainian president said Moscow is considering plans for operations from Belarusian territory to the south and north: either against the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction in Ukraine or against one of the NATO countries.
“Ukraine has details of the conversation between Russia and Belarus. Ukraine will, of course, defend itself and its people if Alexander Lukashenko makes a mistake and decides to support this Russian intention as well,” the Ukrainian president added.
Context
A day earlier, Russia carried out a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv. As a result of a strike on a multi-story residential building in the city’s Darnytskyi district, 24 people were killed and another 47 suffered various injuries.
The day before that, Russian forces carried out one of the longest massive attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war. The main strike hit the western regions. At least six people were killed, and dozens more were wounded.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister adviser Serhii Beskrestnov had previously said that drones are now being launched along the border with Belarus at a distance of 5–10 km, moving in an almost continuous flow and in large groups. In his view, the purpose of this tactic is to overload Ukrainian air defenses and increase the chances that some of the drones will break through deeper into Ukraine.