Ukraine intelligence sharing: Zelenskyy says allies gave no warning of Kyiv missile strikes
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Ukraine received no early warning from partners before a second night of Russian ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, which hit civilian infrastructure including a power plant after dark. Ukraine intelligence sharing with western allies, he said, is what saves lives.
Ukraine intelligence sharing: Zelenskyy says allies gave no warning of Kyiv missile strikes
Ukraine received no advance warning from its partners before a second night of Russian ballistic missile strikes on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday. The strikes, which came despite a purported "energy ceasefire" announced by Donald Trump, hit a key power plant after dark.
Strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv
More ballistic missiles were launched at the capital on Tuesday night, striking the plant despite the ceasefire Trump claimed Moscow and Kyiv had agreed. Zelenskyy said on Telegram that the main target was energy infrastructure, specifically thermal plant No 4, and that an apartment building was also hit, leaving people dead and injured on the city's left bank.
- One person died in the strike on the high-rise apartment building, according to the mayor, Vitali Klitschko, who said apartments were on fire and being evacuated.
- A further 13 injuries were reported from the Tuesday night strikes.
- Zelenskyy described the Monday attack, which involved five missiles, as "particularly vile".
Blasts could be heard in central Kyiv as Ukraine's air defences failed to stop the high-speed Russian missile. On Monday, Russia also bombarded Kharkiv, destroying a residential building; Zelenskyy said four people were killed and 41 injured there, with rescuers searching the rubble all night.
Zelenskyy: warning saves lives
Zelenskyy wrote on social media that early warning about ballistic missiles is precisely what prevents people from being killed. In a statement after the Tuesday strikes, he said: "It is deeply unfair that they are destroying our energy infrastructure while Ukraine receives no warnings about ballistic missile launches".
In the same statement he said: "It is vital that the world does not remain silent about this", and added that America needed to see clearly what was happening and who was responsible for the war continuing.
He did not apportion blame to any partner for the lack of warning, calling the situation unfortunate. Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, speaking in Warsaw, said cooperation with the US was continuing and attributed the missed warning to a "special type" of Russian weaponry.
Washington denies a cutoff
Over the weekend, US officials made explicit threats to their Ukrainian counterparts that the Trump administration was on the brink of halting intelligence sharing. On Tuesday, Trump denied that intelligence sharing had stopped, telling reporters: "We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end, so we're working with them and Russia on getting the war to end".
Ukrainian commanders say American intelligence is not needed to identify targets for deep strikes inside Russia, since oil refineries are marked on Google Maps, but plays a crucial role in warning of Russian ballistic missile launches and long-range bomber takeoffs.
Trump, meanwhile, has demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries and has blamed Zelenskyy for the rise in fuel prices in the US. On Friday he announced a deal with Vladimir Putin to import diesel from Russia, dropping previous US sanctions. Asked on Tuesday whether Russia could use the proceeds to buy more bombs, Trump said: "That's a diesel deal, not for us. That's being released into the world. That's not being released to us".
Zelenskyy called Trump's ceasefire claim "news to me" and said his military had held off Russian refineries and energy facilities for two days after the Sunday announcement. In his account, the Kremlin ignored the truce and bombed Ukrainian energy infrastructure in multiple attacks, sending, he said, clear signals it did not intend to stop striking. He said he could halt hits on Russian refineries, but only reciprocally and with "real guarantees" Moscow stops attacking Ukraine's energy sites.
Grid under strain, warnings of more strikes
The Kremlin's campaign against the ukraine power grid has caused widespread blackouts in Kyiv and other cities, with Putin's apparent goal to shut off heating and electricity for millions of civilians this winter. Russia has stepped up its attacks on energy infrastructure ahead of winter, cutting power and water in large parts of the capital.
- Ukraine has struggled to shoot down incoming missiles and jet-powered drones, and has appealed to partners to boost its dwindling supplies of US-made Patriot missiles.
- According to the Financial Times, the Trump administration has also threatened to suspend the procurement scheme under which Ukraine's European allies buy advanced US systems, including Patriots, that are sent to Kyiv.
The warning came late on Tuesday evening, when Zelenskyy said Russia was planning further ballistic missile strikes, telling Ukrainians: "Please take care of yourselves tonight and tomorrow".
Zelenskyy said on Tuesday: "Direct or indirect support for Russia, delaying aid to Ukraine and complicating protection of lives from ballistics – this is what will definitely not work for peace", adding that "A strong America, a strong Europe, strong partners are needed".
