Key facts
- President Zelensky warned of an impending massive Russian attack on Ukraine.
- Zelensky urged citizens to pay close attention to air raid warnings.
- Russian strikes killed at least six people across different regions.
- Zelensky warned Belarus to remove Russian military equipment from its border within one week.
- Ukraine has conducted drone strikes on Russian targets, including an oil refinery in Tyumen region and Moscow's oil refinery.
- Recent Russian attacks have damaged infrastructure and caused civilian casualties.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukrainian citizens to be vigilant on the night of June 20, stating that Russia was preparing for a new large-scale attack. His warning comes days after Ukraine conducted drone strikes against Moscow, which disabled the Moscow Oil Refinery and exacerbated a fuel shortage. Zelensky characterized these strikes as a "just response to Russian strikes," which have intensified in spring 2026, including attacks on Kyiv's cultural and historic sites.
Zelensky also issued a direct warning to Belarus, accusing Minsk of facilitating Russian drone attacks by installing military equipment along the Belarus-Ukraine border. He stated that Ukraine was aware of this equipment and warned that Belarus has one week to dismantle it, or Ukraine would take action. He also noted that Ukraine is aware of Belarusian factories supporting Russia's war effort.
These remarks follow an ultimatum Zelensky issued to Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. The comments represent one of Kyiv's most direct public warnings toward Belarus since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had threatened fresh attacks on targets crucial to Ukrainian combat effectiveness in response to the strikes on Moscow.