Key facts
- Zelensky said Russia was preparing a new massive attack on Ukraine, primarily targeting energy and logistics.
- Russian forces struck a school used for aid distribution in Komyshuvakha, killing at least 26 people.
- The regional military administrator, Mykhailo Semikin, said 27 people were reported missing.
- Zelensky said Russia dropped more than 10 bombs on the site, including a double-tap strike on a shelter.
- The State Department approved a potential $2.1 billion sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors to Ukraine, per Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address that Russia was preparing a new massive attack on Ukraine, primarily targeting energy and logistics, saying it appeared timed to the US midterm elections the following day.
Zelensky said in a post on X that Ukraine's difficulties with air defense and Patriot missiles risked being overlooked. He urged the US and its allies to warn Putin that continued attacks would bring serious economic consequences, and said pressure should be applied so Russia has no alternative but to end the war.
Hours earlier, Russian forces struck a school used to distribute humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. At least 26 people, including police officers and first responders, were killed and five were injured, according to the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda. The regional military administrator, Mykhailo Semikin, said 27 people were reported missing.
Zelensky said Russia dropped more than 10 bombs on the site, including nine more after a first strike targeted the shelter where people were taking cover, and described the attack as a vile, terrorist strike. He said the attack showed Russia wanted no de-escalation, pointing to a ceasefire that had allowed residents to be evacuated from Oleshky.
According to Reuters, the State Department approved the potential sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion. The proposed sale could provide a boost to Ukraine's air defenses if finalized, although the delivery timeline is uncertain. Zelensky told Fox News in a Sunday interview that Ukraine would suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries for a month if Washington provided Patriot missile interceptors during the same period.