“We are observing preparations for a combined (air) strike on the territory of Ukraine, especially on Kyiv,” Zelensky warned on Facebook, stating that Moscow intends to use various weapons. The President referred to the intelligence information of the Ukrainian forces, but also the knowledge of American and European partners.
“Russia’s madness knows no bounds, so protect your lives and use shelters,” Zelenskyy added, adding that Ukraine’s air defense will be ready and intends to respond “justly” to every Russian strike.
Russians are preparing a combined attack with “Oreshnikom”, in particular against Kiev — intelligence
⬇️https://t.co/LHW6SfT13c— Новынарня (@Novynarnia) May 23, 2026
Regarding the Orešnik missiles, the president said that the use of such weapons and the prolongation of the war is a global example for other potential aggressors. “We rely on the reaction of the world and the fact that this reaction will not come after the strikes, but preventively. We must put pressure on Moscow not to escalate the war,” Zelenskyy wrote further.
The warning was also published by the US diplomatic mission in Kyiv. “The American Embassy in Kyiv has received information about a potentially large-scale air attack that may occur at any time within the next 24 hours,” the statement reads.
“The embassy, as always, advises American citizens (in Ukraine) to be prepared to take shelter immediately in the event of an airstrike alert,” the embassy added.
The newspaper Ukrainska pravda recalled that Russia first used an Oresnik-type missile in November 2024 during an attack on the city of Dnipro. It was deployed for the second time in January this year during the strike on Lvov in western Ukraine.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of a deliberate attack on the dormitory of the high school of pedagogy in Starobilsk in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region. According to detailed information, 17 people died and dozens more were injured, TASS agency wrote.
The head of the Kremlin described the attack as the deliberate killing of civilians, which – as he added – cannot be responded to only by a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Defense was therefore ordered to prepare a retaliation.
Kiev has denied that it is targeting civilians, calling the Russian claims “manipulation”. The strikes were aimed at the Russian elite Rubicon drone unit, emphasized the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army.
