Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing a new massive attack on Ukraine, aimed primarily at the country’s energy and logistics infrastructure. He said Ukrainian intelligence pointed to the coming assault, and warned that Moscow could be counting on the world’s attention being fixed on the United States midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3.
“We have intel that Russia is preparing a new massive attack on our country – primarily targeting energy and logistics,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address on Monday, November 2, in remarks also posted on X. “The assumption is basically that tomorrow the world will be watching the American midterms, and what is happening here in Ukraine, along with our difficulties with air defense and Patriot missiles, will be overlooked.”
Why the timing matters
Zelenskyy’s warning links the threat directly to the US election calendar. With all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats contested on November 3, he argued that Ukraine’s air-defence needs could slip from view at exactly the moment Russia escalates. He has repeatedly described Ukraine’s shortage of air-defence interceptors, including Patriot missiles, as a critical vulnerability as winter approaches, and warned that Russia has shifted some strikes from power generation to distribution networks, making repairs harder.
He urged the United States and its allies to increase pressure on Moscow, particularly by targeting Russian oil and gas revenues. “We must not play games with Russia’s oil or gas revenues. We must put pressure on Russia in such a way that it has no alternative but to end this war. America can do this,” he said.
The attack that preceded the warning
The warning came hours after Russian forces bombed a school building used as a humanitarian aid distribution centre and a neighbouring shelter in Komyshuvakha, in the Zaporizhzhia region, on Monday. Ukrainian officials said the strike killed at least 26 people. Zelenskyy called it further proof that Russia does not want de-escalation. Al Jazeera reported there was no immediate comment from Russia on the warning of a new attack.
What happens next
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has announced that the United States will mediate working-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, covering post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian efforts and next steps towards a peace agreement. That diplomatic track now runs alongside Zelenskyy’s warning of escalation in the days ahead.
What is confirmed and what is not
Confirmed: Zelenskyy said on November 2 that Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russia was preparing a new massive attack on energy and logistics, and he tied that warning to the November 3 US midterms. Not yet confirmed: the timing, scale or targets of any such attack, which Zelenskyy did not specify, and Russia has not publicly responded to the warning. This article reports the warning itself; it does not claim that the predicted attack has happened.
Related coverage
Read Emadan’s earlier coverage of Russian strikes cutting power in Ukraine: https://emadan.store/kherson-ceasefire-ends-russian-strikes-power-ukraine/ and of US Patriot missile support for Ukraine: https://emadan.store/us-approves-2-1-billion-patriot-missiles-ukraine-sale/
Frequently asked questions
What did Zelenskyy warn about? He said Ukrainian intelligence showed Russia preparing a new massive attack primarily targeting Ukraine’s energy and logistics infrastructure.
Why did he mention the US midterms? He argued Moscow could assume the world would be watching the November 3 elections, allowing Ukraine’s air-defence difficulties to be overlooked.
What has Russia said? There was no immediate Russian comment on the warning, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting.
Are peace talks planned? The US is to mediate working-level Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, US envoy Steve Witkoff announced.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/2/russian-bombing-of-ukrainian-aid-centre-kills-24-people-zelenskyy
- The Economic Times: https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/world-news/zelenskyy-warns-of-imminent-russian-attack-on-ukraines-energy-infrastructure-during-us-midterms/amp_articleshow/135481298.cms
- The Indian Express: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-seeks-us-pressure-on-russia-10948098/
- Kyiv Post: https://www.kyivpost.com/post/88954
