Zelenskyy says Kyiv lacked warning of Russian missile strike

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s partners gave it no prior alert before Russian ballistic missiles hit civilian sites in Kyiv, including the Darnytska CHP-4 power plant, during attacks reported on 13 and 14 October. He said the lack of warning concerned intelligence that Ukraine relies on to respond to incoming ballistic missiles.¹²³

Infographic

Enlarge

Warning concerns

Zelenskyy said five Russian ballistic missiles hit civilian infrastructure in Kyiv. He said early warning from Western partners was vital, describing intelligence support as something that “helps saves lives, and this is one of the most critical issues”. American intelligence has been described as important for warning Ukraine about ballistic missile launches and the take-off of long-range bombers.¹³

Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said cooperation with the United States was continuing and linked the absence of a warning to a particular category of Russian weapon. Donald Trump denied that intelligence sharing had been halted, saying the United States was helping Ukraine and sharing intelligence. The Guardian reported, citing a single source, that US officials had told Ukrainian counterparts the Trump administration was close to stopping intelligence sharing.¹

Kyiv strike and conflicting casualty reports

The Darnytska CHP-4 facility, which supplies heat and electricity to parts of Kyiv, was hit in the missile attack. The BBC reported that the same facility had been severely damaged and shut down after a separate Russian missile attack in February, when more than 1,000 residential buildings and numerous schools, kindergartens and medical institutions lost heating and hot water.²

The attack also hit a high-rise residential building, causing fires and evacuations, according to reports. Casualty figures differed: the Guardian reported two deaths and 21 injuries, while the BBC reported one death and 13 injuries, including four people in serious condition. Kyiv was struck by Russian missiles for a second consecutive night, the BBC said.¹²

Energy truce claims

Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an energy ceasefire and demanded that Ukraine stop attacks on Russian oil refineries. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had not struck Russian refineries or energy facilities during the two days after Trump’s announcement, and said Ukraine would support the proposed truce if Russia observed it.¹²

Zelenskyy said the claimed ceasefire was “news to me” and, according to the Guardian, said Russia continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The claim that the Kremlin continued multiple such attacks was reported by the Guardian alone. Zelenskyy added that Ukraine had put forward proposals for additional meetings involving US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.¹

Other reported developments

On 13 October, a Russian bombardment in Kharkiv destroyed a residential building, killing four people and injuring 41, according to the Guardian. According to the same outlet, two cargo vessels near Bulgaria were hit by drones believed to be Russian, and one sank. It alone reported that 11 sailors were unaccounted for. Bulgaria summoned Russia’s ambassador and sought Nato and European Union assistance, according to the report.¹

Russian air defences shot down 604 Ukrainian drones across Russia and the Sea of Azov, according to the Guardian. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the Moscow region was targeted by 417 drones, 65 of which were brought down close to the capital. Separately, the European Union opened negotiations with Ukraine on internal-market and competitiveness standards after Hungary dropped its objections, the Guardian reported.¹