Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a stark warning that Russia is preparing a “massive new strike” on the country, urging the population to heed air alerts and protect their lives. This warning follows a particularly severe weekend, where Kyiv experienced one of the largest Russian bombardment attacks since the full-scale invasion commenced in 2022. Zelenskyy assured that Ukrainian services, including the Air Force, are working efficiently and are prepared to be on duty 24/7. He also reiterated his urgent call to international allies to allow and finance the supply of Patriot missile systems, having specifically written to Donald Trump and the US Congress earlier in the week to request these systems to counter intensifying Russian air attacks.

In a related development, Moscow has reportedly warned foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv, threatening to escalate attacks. This threat is framed as revenge for a Ukrainian strike on a dormitory and high school in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, which Moscow claims resulted in 21 fatalities. Meanwhile, Russia's border region of Belgorod faced a Ukrainian drone attack that killed two people in a car and injured two others, according to local officials. Belgorod has frequently been a target of Ukrainian assaults.

Internationally, a Russian drone caused widespread condemnation after it crashed into a Romanian apartment building, injuring a 14-year-old boy and a 53-year-old woman in Galati, close to the Ukrainian border. Romania denounced the incident as a “serious and irresponsible escalation” and summoned the Russian ambassador. Romanian President Nicuşor Dan convened a national defense council meeting, declaring it the “most serious incident to have affected our national territory” since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte affirmed the alliance's readiness to “defend every inch” of its territory, describing Russia’s behavior as a “danger to us all” after discussions with President Dan. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Russia’s “war of aggression” had “crossed yet another line,” vowing to increase deterrence on the EU’s eastern border. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Britain’s Keir Starmer also condemned the incident, highlighting Russia's