President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday, July 24 that Russia had prepared missiles for a massive strike that could hit Ukraine within the next 48 hours, citing internal intelligence reports.
He urged citizens to remain vigilant and heed air raid alert signals as the threat window remains open.
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“The strike could come today: preliminary information indicates it may happen within 48 hours,” Zelensky said, adding that he hopes “America will continue to stand with Ukraine and that we will be able to end this war with a dignified peace.”
Air defense remains top priority
Zelensky said Ukraine is counting on its partners to speed up support, calling air defense the single area where allies can make the most immediate difference.
He called on all existing agreements with partners to be implemented without delay, while urging Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomats to work faster and make the country’s defense needs heard more loudly abroad.
“It’s important that key partner countries increasingly understand what is really happening in Ukraine,” Zelensky said, “about Russian strikes against our people, about Russia dragging out its war.”
Looking ahead to talks with Washington
Zelensky confirmed the upcoming meeting with the US President Donald Trump and his team, without clarifying a specific date.
As of Friday, July 24, Zelensky is expected to attend Lindsey Graham’s funeral during the course of his diplomatic visit to the US on July 28. Although neither the Ukrainian Presidential Office nor the White House had publicly announced the meeting, Suspilne’s diplomatic sources said that Zelensky is also expected to meet Trump during the visit.
Russian Drone Strikes Passenger Train in Dnipropetrovsk Region
Graham, one of Ukraine’s most outspoken supporters in the US Senate, died unexpectedly on July 11 at the age of 71, one day after meeting Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv. Memorial events are scheduled for July 28 in Washington and July 29 in South Carolina.
“I thank America, I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine – with our people, with our defense of life,” Zelensky said.
His expressed gratitude comes following Trump’s notable change in stance in recent months regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine, with the most tangible result evidence announced on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey on July 7-8, where Trump announced that Washington will grant Kyiv a license to domestically manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.
New mobilization wave expected in Russia
According to Zelensky, Ukrainian intelligence has obtained “clear information” that Russia is preparing a major mobilization wave for autumn.
“Russians are losing more soldiers at the front than they are recruiting,” he said. “Yet, [the Kremlin leader Vladimir] Putin still intends to increase attacks and expand this war.”
He noted that Ukraine must respond preemptively on multiple fronts – including battlefield operations, long-range sanctions, mid-range strikes, diplomacy, and continued engagement with anyone capable of helping preserve lives and bring negotiation talks, and with them – peace, closer.
According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, on July 18, Russia is preparing an autumn mobilization of 500,000 personnel, with plans to deploy some of them to the eastern front promptly, while others would be trained to possibly open a new front.
The mobilization push comes as Russia faces shortfalls in contract military recruitment. According to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU), Russia failed to meet its annual recruitment target by mid-2026. The agency reported that only 195,000 military contracts were signed in Russia, falling short of the 204,500 target.
The SZRU also estimated Russian personnel losses in 2026 at 196,700, including approximately 115,300 “irretrievable” losses and 80,400 injured.
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