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May 29, 2026 / 2:12 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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Washington — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CBS News Friday that Ukraine is bracing for "big attacks" by Russia as soon as Friday or Saturday night.In an exclusive interview with "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Zelenskyy said Ukraine has received intelligence indicating that the assault from Russia will involve drones, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles."Our people have to be very, very careful, cautious, and children — and they have to use bomb shelters," he said, "because today at night or tomorrow at night, high percent — of course, nobody knows 100% — but there is a high percent."Zelenskyy also thanked the U.S. and European partners for sharing intelligence on Russia's plans, but he indicated that Ukraine is in need of defensive weapons to intercept incoming Russian missiles. In a letter to Congress and President Trump dated Tuesday, the Ukrainian president pressed the U.S. for more Patriot missile systems, citing what he described as an "especially cruel massive attack" carried out by Russia on Sunday that left two dead and 83 wounded.As part of that bombardment, Russia launched 600 drones and dozens of cruise and ballistic missiles, among them an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, which has nuclear capabilities. It was the most significant aerial assault on the capital city of Kyiv since the war began in 2022."We used all our weapons, what we have, what we produce, and of course we used anti-ballistic missiles," Zelenskyy said of Ukraine's response to the assault on the 25th. "It's the biggest deficit for us."Russia launched another round of attacks outside of Kyiv, including on infrastructure located along the shared Romanian-Ukrainian border. One of its drones entered the airspace of NATO-member Romania, and struck an apartment building in the country, according to the Romanian defense ministry.
