Zelenskyy Warns of Russia’s Fall Plans

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv has intelligence indicating Russia is preparing to expand its military mobilization rather than pursue peace, as he outlined new Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil, military production and logistics facilities. In an address published July 25, 2026, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would continue long-range and mid-range operations against targets supporting Russia’s war effort.

Zelenskyy claimed that 221,000 people had joined the Russian armed forces during the first seven months of the year, while Russian casualties had reached nearly 225,500, including about 131,000 killed and 93,000 wounded. The figures were presented by the Ukrainian president and were not independently verified in the statement.

He also accused Russia of preparing to receive as many as 30,000 additional troops from North Korea and said Pyongyang was expected to provide more ballistic-missile launchers. Zelenskyy warned that military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang could pose a broader security threat across Asia.

The Ukrainian president further alleged that Russia was providing satellite imagery of Gulf states and U.S. military facilities to Iran, linking the imagery to Iranian attacks. He called on international partners to increase pressure on Moscow, provide additional air-defense systems—particularly Patriot missiles—and support efforts to protect Ukraine’s ports and agricultural infrastructure.