Ukrainian officials and military analysts have warned that Russian forces are preparing a fresh offensive in the coming weeks, aiming to intensify pressure on Ukraine and strengthen Moscow's position in potential ceasefire negotiations.
The anticipated push could lead Russian President Vladimir Putin to delay peace talks in favour of pursuing further territorial gains, Ukrainian officials said.
They reiterated long-standing claims that Russia has no genuine interest in meaningful negotiations to end the war.
As the spring fighting season approaches, analysts and military commanders report that the Kremlin is planning a multi-front assault across the 1,000-kilometre frontline.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing intelligence, said Russian forces are preparing new offensives in the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions, as well as in Zaporizhzhia.
Overnight attacks
Meanwhile, Russia launched a massive overnight attack on Ukraine, killing at least four people and injuring 36, according to local authorities.
The attack on the eastern town of Dnipro killed four people and injured 21 others. The assault also caused a large-scale fire to break out in a restaurant complex, authorities reported.
Ukraine's Air Force said that Moscow launched 172 drone attacks, including decoy drones, from Friday into Saturday. Of these, 94 were shot down while 69 disappeared from radars, according to the statement.
Additional attacks were reported in the Sumy, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions.
Intelligence agreement with EU countries
Zelenskyy announced on Friday during a press briefing in Kyiv that Ukraine has secured agreements with several EU nations to enhance its intelligence capabilities, including access to "relevant technologies and satellites."
While Zelenskyy did not specify which EU countries are involved, he confirmed that France and Britain would participate in an upcoming meeting in Ukraine, expected to take place "within the week."
He stated, "France, Britain, and Ukraine will definitely be there."
Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Bryansk region
In the same statement, Zelenskyy confirmed the presence of Ukrainian troops in Russia's Bryansk region. He said Ukrainian forces had taken "appropriate measures" near Russia's Kursk region to "thin out and disrupt" the concentration of Russian troops.
On Friday, Kyiv announced it had received the bodies of 909 soldiers killed in combat, the largest repatriation of fallen troops since the war began.
In a social media post, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said, "The bodies of 909 fallen defenders were returned to Ukraine."
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry reported on its Telegram channel that Ukrainian attacks targeted its energy infrastructure between Friday and Saturday morning.
