Zelenskyy says Ukraine again received no ballistic missile warning from partners; Rubio cites earlier software issue
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine again received no advance warning from its partners before Russia's overnight ballistic missile attack on Kyiv on October 19. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he could not confirm reports of a missing warning but acknowledged an earlier technical problem with an American early-warning system.
"Another Russian ballistic attack in several waves overnight, and again there was no warning from our partners," Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
He said Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles in a deliberate attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region. According to Ukraine's Air Force, none of the ballistic missiles were intercepted.
The strikes killed a 21-year-old woman in Kyiv and injured at least five people. They also damaged residential buildings, a medical facility, a school and metro infrastructure.
Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Russia launched two waves of ballistic missiles, at approximately 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Ukraine received advance warning of the second wave but not the first.
Rubio: Earlier software problem, no confirmation of missing warning
Asked by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alex Raufoglu whether Ukraine had received no advance warning of the latest attack, Rubio said he did not know exactly what had happened overnight.
He acknowledged that an American early-warning system had experienced a software problem several days earlier but did not establish a connection between that issue and the latest strike.
The missing warnings have raised questions about U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine following similar incidents on October 12 and 13.
U.S. President Donald Trump previously denied that Washington had stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv. On October 18, Zelenskyy said intelligence sharing had resumed.
The Financial Times earlier reported, citing European officials, that the Trump administration had threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and weapons purchases unless Ukraine stopped striking Russian oil refineries.