Ukraine says it has intelligence indicating Russia is preparing for a fresh ground offensive against the capital of Kyiv.
The claim raises the prospect of another attempt to threaten the Ukrainian capital more than four years after Russia launched its invasion.
Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, said Russian military leadership have been instructed by the Kremlin to plan and prepare offensives targeting Kyiv and Chernihiv.
Ukrainian intelligence has received and verified information about the preparations, according to Palisa.
However, officials have not yet detected Russian forces massing in sufficient numbers to launch such an operation.
Ukraine has received intelligence that Russia is preparing for a possible new ground offensive toward Kyiv as well as Chernihiv in the nation’s far north, a top official said https://t.co/nBC0IhYElh
— Bloomberg (@business) August 29, 2026
Palisa said Ukraine’s immediate objective is to “prevent the creation of conditions for the Russians to be able to launch any offensive actions at all.”
Russia attempted to seize Kyiv during the opening stages of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, sending forces toward the capital from Belarus and other directions.
The offensive ultimately collapsed in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance, forcing Russian troops to withdraw from northern Ukraine.
The latest warning comes amid indications that Moscow is moving towards a major mobilization as battlefield losses now outpace recruitment.
Russia Expands Strikes on Ukraine’s Critical Infrastructure
As the war enters its fifth year, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned Saturday that “escalation from Russia’s side is progressing” following discussions with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Tusk said Ukraine urgently requires additional air support and warned that the coming months could prove critical.
“The next six months will be decisive, and we must be prepared as Poland and NATO for various scenarios,” he said.
Polish PM Donald Tusk:
For Russia this autumn and winter are supposed to be critical.
The Russians want to mobilize 600,000 soldiers.
The next seven months will certainly be critical. The Ukrainian-Russian war is at a turning point. pic.twitter.com/5xKDKcdxda
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 29, 2026
Meanwhile, Russia has intensified its aerial assault on Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said Saturday that the capital is facing “virtually nonstop attack from jet-powered drones.”
The Ukrainian leader has acknowledged that Kyiv must “significantly accelerate” production of interceptors capable of destroying Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones.
However, Ukraine has enjoyed significant success with its own expanding drone arsenal, repeatedly striking critical infrastructure and strategic targets deep inside Russia and causing widespread disruptions to the country’s fuel supplies.
Ukrainian drones struck the Yaroslavl Oil Refinery in Russia using long-range FP-1 drones.
The plant, one of Russia’s largest, processes about 15 million tonnes of oil annually and produces gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel and other petroleum products. pic.twitter.com/6WY7ORGCpT
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 28, 2026
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