Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that his country is working to verify intelligence from the United States and European partners indicating Russia may be preparing to strike with a hypersonic ballistic missile system known as the Oreshnik.
"Our intelligence services reported receiving data, including from American and European partners, about Russia preparing a strike with the Oreshnik missile. We are verifying this information," Zelenskyy posted on X. He added that Ukraine is preparing its air defenses as much as possible and will respond to Russian strikes.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a security alert the same day warning of a "potentially significant" air attack on Ukraine within the next 24 hours. The embassy advised U.S. citizens to be ready to shelter immediately if an air alert is announced.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions following Ukrainian drone strikes that Russia says hit a college dormitory in Starobilsk in the Luhansk People's Republic. Russian President Vladimir Putin said several people were killed and dozens injured in the attack, which he described during remarks to military graduates on Friday.
Putin stated that he had ordered the Russian Defense Ministry to prepare proposals for a response. "It is impossible to limit ourselves to statements from the Foreign Ministry alone. Therefore, the Russian Defense Ministry has been ordered to present its proposals," he said.
Ukraine's military rejected the Russian accusations, stating it had instead targeted the headquarters of a Russian drone unit called "Rubicon." The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine described the unit as one that regularly targets Ukrainian civilians and accused Russian media of spreading manipulative information.
According to the Ukrainian statement on social media, Kyiv only targets military infrastructure and complies with international humanitarian law. Russian officials have not provided independent confirmation of the reported casualties in Starobilsk.
The Oreshnik missile system referenced by Zelenskyy is a hypersonic weapon that Russia has tested in recent months. Ukrainian officials said they are taking the intelligence seriously while continuing to bolster air defenses with available resources.
Earlier reports indicated Ukraine launched hundreds of drones in an attack targeting areas inside Russia, according to Moscow. Those strikes appear to have prompted the Russian response and Putin's public comments on Friday.
Western governments have previously shared intelligence with Ukraine about Russian missile capabilities, though details on the Oreshnik remain limited. Zelenskyy emphasized that verification efforts are ongoing with partners.
The U.S. Embassy alert did not specify the exact nature of the potential attack but urged preparedness. Similar warnings have been issued in the past ahead of major Russian missile barrages.
Regional officials in Luhansk have not released an independent casualty count from the Starobilsk incident. Russian state media reported the dormitory strike but provided few additional details beyond Putin's remarks.
Ukraine continues to face daily threats from Russian missile and drone attacks as the conflict enters another phase of escalation. Both sides have traded accusations over civilian targeting in recent weeks.
Officials in Kyiv said they remain focused on protecting critical infrastructure while monitoring developments with the reported Russian missile preparations. No immediate timeline for any potential strike has been confirmed by either side.