KYIV, Oct 19 — 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 stretching from Kharkiv and Dnipro in the east to Odesa in the south and Volyn and Rivne in the west. More than 10 energy facilities were damaged.
Officials reported that the strikes killed a woman in Kyiv and two more people in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih.
His complaint about intelligence sharing comes amid growing friction between Zelenskiy and United States (US) President Donald Trump's administration over Washington's support for Ukraine and the US' approach to Russia.
"Another Russian ballistic missile attack came in several waves overnight, and once again, there was no early warning from our partners.
"When deliveries of missiles for Ukraine's air defence are blocked while Russia is granted relief or delays in sanctions, this is, unfortunately, a denial of reality on the part of our partners," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram app.
Throughout the nearly five-year war, Ukraine has relied on US intelligence to detect Russian ballistic missile launches and provide early warning of incoming strikes.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said Kyiv received no warning before the first ballistic missile strike overnight but did receive information before a second attack.
"For some reason, no information was received the first time, a matter our experts are investigating together with our partners, as this is not the first time such a situation has occurred," he told Ukrainian television.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the United States had paused some intelligence sharing with Ukraine, contradicting Zelenskiy, who has said that Washington briefly curtailed such cooperation.
Rolling blackouts
The Ukrainian Air Force noted that its air defences downed 247 targets — four cruise missiles and 243 drones.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces carried out a "massive strike" using precision weapons and attack drones against Ukrainian defence industry facilities, drone and cruise missile storage sites, and a data centre.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said the energy sector was the main target, with damage reported across the country. Ukraine's energy ministry said it introduced rolling blackouts for households and businesses as crews worked to restore supplies.
He added that railway stations, pharmaceutical warehouses, commercial properties, and residential buildings were also damaged.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Telegram that a subway station on the left bank of the capital was hit, and a 25-storey residential building was damaged.
