Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky warns of ‘massive attack’ from Moscow as strikes kill at least six people

Russian forces hit energy facilities in Ukraine's Sumy regionUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Russian forces were preparing an impending massive attack and warned residents to take special care as Russian strikes in different ⁠regions killed at least six people. On Saturday, Russian forces attacked the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia with glide bombs, killing five people and injuring 10, Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Near ‌the Russian border, a bomb attack killed one ​person on the outskirts of the city of Sumy, ‌local officials said.

In southern Kherson ⁠region, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said one person had ⁠died in a drone attack on a village north of the region's main ‌city, also called ​Kherson.In his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky said: "Tonight and in the coming hours, it is especially important to pay close attention to air raid warnings. The Russians have prepared ⁠for a massive attack.

Please take care ​of ⁠yourselves." Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov previously warned of “massive coordinated strikes on a regular basis” in response to Ukraine's attack on a Moscow oil refinery for the second time this week. Hundreds of drones targeted Moscow on Friday night, hitting the Russian capital's oil refinery in one of the biggest aerial assaults on Russia of the war so far.

RecommendedHow Ukraine’s new drone tactics are causing chaos in Russia after largest-ever attack on MoscowUkraine sends Moscow oil refinery up in flames with largest drone attack on city in two yearsTrump tells Putin it is ‘vital’ he end Ukraine war and offers to help broker peace in hour-long callRussia is firing warning shots off the Isle of Wight: How worried should Britain be?EU not seeking mediating role in Ukraine war, Costa saysThe European Union does not intend to be mediators in case of peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, as it sides with Kyiv, European Council president Antonio Costa said on Friday.A diplomatic overture to the Kremlin ⁠by European Council president Antonio ​Costa ⁠has exposed ‌divisions at a summit of EU leaders over how to ‌handle relations with ‌Russia.

Costa at a press conference after the summit said there were "no credible signs" that Russia wanted to engage in serious negotiations."What I'm doing through my office is to establish a diplomatic channel, ‌because we cannot ​depend only on others ‌to interpret Russian ⁠messages and we must ⁠be able to convey to Russia ‌our ​own messages," ‌Costa said.Alex Croft20 June 2026 23:01Watch: Russian forces hit energy facilities in Ukraine's Sumy regionRussian forces hit energy facilities in Ukraine's Sumy regionAlex Croft20 June 2026 22:00Lavrov says Nato and Russia escalation could lead to nuclear strikesRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that an escalation between Russia and Nato could lead to a nuclear strikes exchange with catastrophic consequences.

“A direct confrontation between Nato and Russia could rapidly escalate into an exchange of nuclear strikes, with catastrophic consequences,” he wrote in an article posted on the Russian foreign ministry’s website.“Under the banner of ‘strategic autonomy,’ Europe is witnessing a significant build-up of its military capabilities, including in the nuclear sphere.“Paris's intention to extend its ‘nuclear umbrella’ to several EU and NATO member states is a source of deep concern.

“This will do nothing to strengthen the security of France itself or the recipients of its so-called protection.”Alex Croft20 June 2026 21:01Recap: Ukraine accepts proposal from Brazil's Lula to work for peace, Kyiv adviser saysPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has accepted an offer from Brazilian ​leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to help work for a peace deal in Russia's war in Ukraine, a Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Friday.Zelensky and Lula met ⁠on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains on Wednesday, where the Ukrainian leader urged allies to increase pressure on Russia to end the more than four-year-old war.

The ⁠two presidents discussed what could ​reactivate ⁠diplomacy and Lula proposed several ideas, including contacts with permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, presidential communications adviser Dmytro ⁠Lytvyn told reporters."

They agreed that, in particular, based on such ​ideas ⁠and contacts, they would try to ‌achieve something and later they would discuss it based on the results," Lytvyn said.Alex Croft20 June 2026 20:00New UK strike weapons can hit targets up to 500km away – and they could be sent to Ukraine within a yearBritain has tested new long-range strike weapons, with the government hoping for delivery to Ukraine within months.The initiative aims to produce munitions more quickly and affordably than existing systems like Storm Shadow missiles.

New systems, capable of hitting targets at least 500km away and carrying a 225kg warhead, have been fired at a range in the Hebrides, with further U