Zelenskiy says Ukraine got no warning as Russia launches major attack
KYIV: Ukraine received no advance warning from its partners of a Russian ballistic missile strike overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, after Moscow launched one of its broadest air assaults in months, cutting power to more than half a million households. Russia fired 16 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the surrounding region and more than 200 drones across the country in attacks…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Thursday that his country received no advance warning from partners regarding a Russian ballistic missile attack that engulfed Kyiv and surrounding regions overnight. The assault, one of the largest in months, saw Russia launch 16 ballistic missiles and over 200 drones across Ukraine, from Kharkiv and Dnipro in the east to Odesa in the south and Volyn and Rivne in the west.
The strikes inflicted damage on more than 10 energy facilities and resulted in the deaths of a woman in Kyiv and two others in Kryvyi Rih, according to officials. In a message on the Telegram app, Zelenskiy called for greater intelligence sharing between Ukraine and its allies, accusing partners of ignoring the reality of the ongoing conflict by blocking missile deliveries to Ukraine's air defense systems while Russia faces sanctions relief or delayed sanctions.
Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat confirmed that no early warning was provided prior to the first missile strike, but information was shared ahead of a subsequent attack. This discrepancy has prompted investigations by Ukrainian experts, as such lapses have occurred before. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the United States had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, disputing Zelenskiy's claims that the U.S. had temporarily reduced cooperation.
The Ukrainian air defenses successfully neutralized 247 targets, including four cruise missiles and 243 drones, while Russia claimed the strikes targeted Ukrainian defense industry facilities, drone and missile storage sites, and a data center. Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi emphasized that the energy sector bore the brunt of the attacks, with widespread power outages reported across the nation. Rolling blackouts were enacted for homes and businesses as utility crews worked to restore power.
In Kyiv, a subway station on the eastern bank of the capital suffered damage, alongside a 25-story residential building in the city, as reported by Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Telegram.
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