Russia preparing military operations in Europe, Zelensky says, citing intelligence
Ukrainian intelligence has proof that Russia is preparing new military operations in Europe, said President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 22 after a report from military intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov.
“We are observing a continued intellectual decline within the Russian leadership and have evidence that they are preparing new military operations on European territory,” Zelensky said on X.
Zelensky added that Ukraine will inform foreign partners regarding the information obtained by intelligence. The statement follows earlier warnings by Kyiv that Russia may be preparing aggression beyond Ukraine’s borders.
The president did not provide further details on the planned Russian operations, their dates, or countries that might be targeted.
“We are preparing joint decisions for defense, in particular with the United Kingdom and the European Union,” Zelensky wrote.
Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine will continue its efforts to weaken Russia’s army.
“We’re aware of… (Russia’s) key vulnerabilities and will strike accordingly to defend our state and people, as well as to significantly reduce Russia’s capacity for aggression,” the president said.
Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has ramped up sabotage operations across Europe, aiming to destabilize the security situation in countries supporting Kyiv against Russian aggression.
Ukrainian foreign intelligence warned in May that Russia would be able to restore its combat capabilities and launch aggression against Europe between two and four years after hostilities in Ukraine ended.
Foreign officials and EU diplomats have increasingly called for the preparation for a potential full-scale conflict between NATO and Russia. On June 2, the United Kingdom announced its largest defense spending increase since the Cold War in the face of “the war in Europe,” according to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy