Zelenskyy warns Russia may exploit US midterms for major attack
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had intelligence indicating Russia was preparing a large-scale assault timed to Tuesday’s US midterm elections. He warned that global attention on the vote could leave Ukraine’s vulnerabilities, including shortages of air defenses and Patriot missiles, less noticed. He urged the Trump administration and US allies to increase pressure on Moscow and warned of economic consequences for continued attacks.
The warning came after Russian attacks caused power outages for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians on Sunday, according to Zelenskyy. On November 2, a school serving as a humanitarian aid distribution site in Komyshuvakha, in the Zaporizhzhia region, was struck. At least 26 people were reported killed, including police officers and first responders; five were injured and others were missing.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine could pause attacks targeting Russian oil refineries for one month, provided the United States supplied Patriot interceptors during that period. The State Department has approved a possible sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine, estimated at $2.1 billion, but the delivery schedule is uncertain. President Donald Trump has pursued negotiations to end the war with help from envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Zelenskyy warns Russia could exploit US election to strike Ukraine
Russia may be counting on the world’s attention turning to American voting to intensify attacks on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on November 2. He said Moscow was preparing a major assault focused on energy and logistics, as Ukraine faces air-defense shortages and continued strikes.
The stakes were already visible: Zelenskyy said Russian attacks had left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity on Sunday. A strike on a school distributing humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha killed 26 or more people, among them police and first responders; five were injured and others were missing.
Zelenskyy urged the Trump administration and US allies to make clear that attacks would carry economic costs. He said Ukraine could halt attacks against Russian oil refineries for a month, on the condition that Washington supplied Patriot interceptors for that period. The administration has approved a potential sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles, estimated at $2.1 billion, but delivery timing remains uncertain. A policy of negotiation alone cannot address the immediate threat Zelenskyy described; his appeal is for pressure strong enough to make continued war costly for Moscow.
Washington pursues diplomacy as Zelenskyy warns of Russian attack
Zelenskyy warned on November 2 that Russia could time a large attack on Ukraine to coincide with the US midterm elections, when international attention would be focused elsewhere. He said energy and logistics infrastructure could be targets and urged Washington to raise the cost of continued Russian attacks.
The warning follows severe damage and civilian danger. Zelenskyy said Russian strikes had cut power to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians on Sunday. A school used to distribute humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha was struck on November 2; at least 26 people were reported killed, five injured and others missing.
The Trump administration is pursuing negotiations with Moscow through envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the State Department has approved a possible sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion. The delivery timeline is uncertain. Zelenskyy has offered a month-long pause in Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries if the United States supplies Patriot interceptors during that period. His call for broader economic pressure reflects a different approach from the administration’s current emphasis on diplomacy; the challenge is to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses without losing sight of negotiations.
