Ukraine received no advance warning from partners before Russian ballistic strike on Kyiv, Zelenskyy says
Ukraine received no advance warning from its international partners before Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv on October 12, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the following day.
Zelenskyy said five ballistic missiles struck civilian infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital.
"Unfortunately, there was no warning from our partners about this strike," he wrote on Telegram. "Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues."
The Ukrainian Air Force previously said the incoming missiles had been detected only after the attack was already underway, with no advance information about their launches.
Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said on October 13 that there had been previous cases in which information about an aerial threat did not reach Ukraine, adding that specialists would examine the incident together with international partners.
The statements come amid reports of growing US pressure on Kyiv to halt strikes against Russian oil refineries.
The Financial Times reported, citing European officials familiar with the matter, that the Trump administration had threatened to restrict weapons supplies and intelligence sharing unless Ukraine stopped targeting Russian refineries.
However, neither Zelenskyy's statement nor the Air Force's explanation establishes that intelligence sharing has been suspended.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had refrained from striking Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure for two days following US President Donald Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire, while Russia continued attacks across 19 Ukrainian regions.
Ukraine remains ready to take reciprocal steps toward de-escalation, Zelenskyy said, but argued that further pressure on Russia was necessary.