Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a "massive" new Russian attack on Ukraine, saying intelligence suggested Moscow had "readied missiles" for an attack "within the next 48 hours." In a post on X, he wrote: "Please take care of yourselves and pay attention to air raid alerts." The alert came as the fifth year of the conflict continues to drain European resources and test transatlantic unity on sustained military aid.
The warning followed Russian missile strikes on the Kyiv region on Friday that killed at least 10 people and injured around 100 more. The strikes reportedly hit an arms exhibition where representatives of the Ukrainian defence industry were present. A further five people were killed following guided aerial bomb strikes in Slovyansk, according to Zelenskyy. Latvia's foreign minister confirmed that the Latvian consulate in Slovyansk was damaged in the attacks.
Diplomatic Fallout
Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, said in a statement posted to social media that the strike on the consulate "underscores Moscow's utter disregard for international law." She added: "Latvia has our full support." The incident highlighted Russia's willingness to strike civilian and diplomatic infrastructure even as peace talks gain momentum in Washington.
On Saturday, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces had carried out strikes on a weapons facility in Kirov on Friday night. Ukraine also targeted an oil refinery in Tyumen, a logistics facility in Yekaterinburg and a fuel and lubricants depot in Rostov-on-Don, he said. "We also achieved very strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea – including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship," he added, while also sharing video footage appearing to show the aftermath of some of the strikes.
In Ukraine, one person died and nine were injured following a Russian attack on the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, per local authorities.
Washington Talks Loom
Zelenskyy is due to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week as the US and Ukraine continue to discuss peace proposals to end the war, which began following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he had spoken with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, about efforts to end the conflict. "A good and important conversation about how to energize diplomacy and bring peace closer," he said.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' summit in the Philippines. According to the Kremlin, Lavrov used the meeting to warn Washington against continuing arms sales to Kyiv. "Lavrov briefed his American counterpart on the actual situation along the front line and emphasised that it would be unacceptable to further arm the Kyiv regime," a statement from the Russian foreign ministry read.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rubio said the pair had a "good," "frank" conversation but declined to go into more detail. Asked specifically 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." "We want a peace deal. We want the war to end," he added.
Why This Matters:
The escalating strikes underscore the fiscal and strategic burden Europe continues to shoulder in the fifth year of the conflict. As Washington explores peace negotiations, European capitals face hard questions about how much longer they can sustain military and humanitarian aid flows without clarity on a settlement framework. The attack on Latvia's consulate in Slovyansk demonstrates that even NATO member states' diplomatic infrastructure isn't immune from Russian targeting, raising questions about deterrence and the adequacy of current defence postures. With Zelenskyy heading to Washington next week, European governments will be watching closely to see whether Trump's administration can broker a credible peace deal — or whether Europe will need to prepare for another year of open-ended commitment. The fiscal sustainability of continued support hinges on a realistic diplomatic path forward.