Zelensky warned of a new massive Russian strike: what is behind this signal and how is Ukraine preparing?
19.01.2026When the president goes on camera and says, without any elaborate wording, that Russia has already prepared a new massive strike on Ukraine, it is always more than the daily video from above. It is a signal that intelligence is seeing unusual movement of missiles and drones, the military at all levels is tightening air defense readiness, and the behavior of each person during an air alert will determine how successful the next round of defense will be.
What exactly did Zelensky say?
In an evening address on January 19, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that, according to Ukrainian intelligence and partners, Russia has already prepared for a new massive strike and is "waiting for the moment to deliver this blow."1 The President called on citizens to be as attentive as possible to air raid signals in all regions and emphasized the need for prompt response from local authorities, services, and volunteers to support people in the event of new shelling.1
This appeal was made not during a "quiet" period, but against the backdrop of already long-standing attacks on energy infrastructure, when the country lives with rigid schedules of outages and the risk of new attacks on thermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants, and substations.1 3 So Zelensky's emphasis was not on "the fact that the war is ongoing," but on the fact that right now the enemy is preparing a separate, intensified operation against Ukraine.
What kind of blow is the Kremlin preparing?
A few days before, the president had already mentioned in his addresses that Russia was scouting specific Ukrainian facilities for possible attacks, and the key target was again the energy system — from nuclear power plants to main power transmission lines.1 The US Embassy in Kyiv simultaneously issued a warning to its citizens about the increased threat of a large-scale Russian strike in the coming days, which confirms that this is not an internal assessment, but intelligence shared by Ukraine's partners.1 2
Based on previous experience, it can be assumed that this is a combined strike: the simultaneous use of Shaheds, air- and sea-based cruise missiles, and, presumably, ballistic missiles of the Kinzhal or Iskander type on key energy nodes and military facilities.3 4 It was precisely such "package" attacks that the Russians used in the winter of 2022–2023 and 2023–2024, trying to paralyze the energy sector and exhaust Ukrainian air defense.
Why did the warning sound now?
Several factors converge on one point. First, it is the season: deep winter has always been a "favorite" time for Russian attacks on energy, when each hit multiplies the effect with cold in homes, disruptions in water supply and transport.3 Secondly, Russia traditionally tries to tie such strikes to political events — international summits, decisions on aid to Ukraine, changes in the leadership of Ukrainian security forces.
Thirdly, Ukrainian intelligence has already recorded the Russian Federation's preparations for "air defense attrition strikes" - a large number of simultaneous launches designed to force Ukraine to waste expensive anti-aircraft missiles, and not just cause physical destruction.1 4 Against this background, the president's address is an attempt to "lay the cards on the table" in advance: to explain to society that the impending wave will not be accidental.
Behavior during anxiety: why is the president emphasizing this so much?
Zelenskyy's special emphasis is on people's behavior during air raids. The call to "pay attention to signals" is aimed at countering the fatigue that has accumulated over the years of war: many have again begun to ignore sirens, believing that "they won't fly here" or "the air defense system will shoot everything down anyway."1 In fact, every massive strike confirms that even with highly effective air defense, debris from downed missiles and drones poses a deadly threat — especially in densely populated cities.
The President separately addressed local authorities and services: each region must be ready to "respond as quickly as possible and support people."1 This means preparing heating points, backup power sources for hospitals and water utilities, water and fuel supplies in advance, as well as clear communication about outage schedules and possible traffic restrictions.
The role of the US and allies in the current warning
The fact that the US Embassy in Kyiv issued a separate warning about a possible large-scale strike indicates Washington's high level of trust in its own intelligence and its willingness to coordinate the information signal with Ukraine.2 Such embassy statements are usually made infrequently and only when risks to civilians are assessed as elevated.
In parallel, the G7 countries continue to work on strengthening Ukraine's energy resilience - from supplying equipment to creating an "energy Ramstein" format, which should systematically close holes in the energy system after Russian attacks.3 5 In this logic, Zelensky's warning is also a way to strengthen Kyiv's arguments in negotiations with partners: the threat is not theoretical, it is concrete and close.
Air defense and the new "anti-drone dome"
The warning of a massive strike came against the backdrop of two important decisions in the field of air defense. The first is the appointment of a new Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who openly speaks about the priority of drones and technologies, as well as the goal of creating an "anti-drone dome" over Ukraine.6 7 The second is the appointment of Pavel Elizarov as Deputy Commander of the Air Force, responsible specifically for drones and countermeasure systems.
Overall, this means that in response to the Russian threat, Ukraine is trying not only to "patch" its air defense, but also to rebuild its architecture: to strengthen the interception of drones using its own interceptors, and to integrate radars, electronic warfare, and strike UAVs into unified control systems.5 6 The upcoming massive Russian strike, which Zelensky warns about, will be another test for this new model.
The enemy's goal: energy and exhaustion
In previous addresses, Zelenskyy said bluntly: Russia is trying to cause maximum damage to Ukrainian nuclear power plants and the energy system as a whole, and intelligence has confirmed data on objects that the enemy has scouted in advance for possible attacks.1 This is not only about generation, but also about main power lines and large substations, the damage of which can cause long-term blackouts in entire regions.
At the same time, Russia seeks to exhaust Ukrainian air defenses — to force Ukraine to fire its stockpiles of anti-aircraft missiles at drones and secondary types of missiles in order to reduce protection against more expensive and rarer means of destruction.4 5 Therefore, Zelensky's warning is also a reminder to partners: without stable supplies of air defense systems and missiles to them, it will be impossible to contain Russia's "strategy of attrition."
How does society react to such signals?
The comments under the news on Censor.NET show an ambivalent reaction from part of society: along with understanding the threat, the video shows irony, fatigue, and harsh criticism of the authorities and the president personally.1 People joke about "care blankets," recall the beginning of the Great War, and question whether the state has done enough to prepare for the massive strikes of the coming years.
This is a natural reaction of a country that has experienced "the biggest blows" many times and each time received assurances that "we have become stronger."3 The task of the authorities in this situation is not only to warn, but also to demonstrate progress: in air defense, in energy, in the protection of critical infrastructure. Otherwise, any appeal risks being perceived as another ritual phrase, rather than a real briefing in the face of the threat.
What does this warning mean for everyone?
On the level of everyday life, Zelensky's signal means simple but important things. Have a plan for where to go during an alarm and how long it will take to get to shelter. Know where the nearest heating point is in case of long outages, have a supply of water, a basic flashlight, and a charged power bank.3 For businesses, it is important to have a blackout scenario, and for local authorities, it is important to have detailed action algorithms in case of a massive impact.
And for the state as a whole, this warning is another reminder: war has long become a marathon, where the winner is not the one who has withstood the blow once, but the one who is able to recover many times and meet the next wave each time stronger than he was yesterday.5 6 The massive strike that Zelenskyy is talking about will inevitably become one of such tests — the only question is whether it will turn into another dark page or into proof that the Ukrainian state and society have truly learned to live and defend themselves in conditions of constant threat.
Sources
- Censor.NET: news "Zelensky: Russia has prepared for a massive strike, we must be careful" with quotes from the president's evening address and the context of previous statements about attacks on energy.
- US Embassy in Kyiv: warning to US citizens about the threat of a large-scale Russian strike on Ukraine in the coming days.
- BBC News and Ukrainian media: materials on the consequences of Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy system, the introduction of a state of emergency in the energy sector, and outage schedules.
- Public statements by Zelensky and Ukrainian intelligence: information about the Russian Federation preparing "massive strikes to exhaust air defenses" and reconnaissance of energy facilities for attacks.
- Ministry of Economy of Ukraine / G7+ Energy Support Coordination Group: message on international coordination of support for the Ukrainian energy sector and needs for equipment and air defense.
- UNITED24 Media, interview with Mikhail Fedorov: vision of the development of air defense, drones and the "anti-drone dome" as a response to massive air strikes by the Russian Federation.
- Bloomberg / international analytical materials: assessments of the change in Ukraine's strategy after the appointment of Fedorov as Minister of Defense and the strengthening of the drone component of defense.
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