Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles at the Kyiv region overnight on Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently accused Washington of failing to share critical intelligence on the devastating assault.
This latest aerial onslaught came as tensions between Washington and Kyiv over U.S. intelligence contributions continue to climb.
Tu-160 Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tu-160 Bomber Russian Air Force Photo
Yet Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday denied that the U.S. had halted any sharing, suggesting technical issues might be to blame.
The attack, which took place in a slew of salvos overnight, reportedly resulted in the death of four people. Attacks on over ten power facilities left more than half a million people without electricity.
Russia Strikes Kyiv With 16 Ballistic Missiles
“Once again, a Russian ballistic attack came in several waves overnight, and once again there was no warning from partners,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
In addition to the ballistic missile strikes, Russia launched more than 200 drones, among them jet-powered Shahed drones, at Ukraine.
The strikes targeted the Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Odesa regions, as well as western Ukraine.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, it downed or otherwise destroyed some 247 aerial vehicles, including four cruise missiles, and 243 drones and other uncrewed aircraft.
Ukraine did not report intercepting any ballistic missiles.
The attack affected more than just the country’s power supply, with a metro station, several residential buildings, a hospital, and other objects sustaining damage in the capital.
Datagroup, a telecommunications company, also reported that its data center was damaged.
“Unfortunately, repairing it and resuming operations are impossible,” the forum wrote to its public Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed it had carried out a “massive strike” on Kyiv.
Ukraine Says Warning Failed Before First Attack
Ukraine’s Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said that there had been no warning before Russia’s first ballistic missile attack, but that Ukraine had received intelligence about a further attack after 3 am local time.
Ukraine received only “partial information about the attack,” the Financial Times reported.
Rubio Denies U.S. Paused Intelligence Sharing
In a fiery interview with NBC on October 18, Zelenskyy accused the U.S. of pausing intelligence sharing with Ukraine before resuming it.
On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio refuted Zelenskyy’s comments.
“I don’t know where he’s getting these things from. Or why he’s saying these things to the press. You should go back and ask him.
“There’s been no pause. What he should be focused on, and what we want to be focused on, is bringing an end to this war,” he continued.
Rubio also alluded to technical reasons for Kyiv’s lack of warning about Monday’s onslaught, though he stressed that he was not yet informed of the cause.
“I know a few nights ago there was a software issue with their [Ukraine’s] early warning system,” the top U.S. official noted.
Ukraine Resumes Attacks on Russian Energy Sites
According to the Washington Post, senior defense officials in Washington warned Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries as tension mounted over the impact on global energy markets and the availability of military support to Ukraine.
Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries last Thursday, after accusing Moscow of deliberately violating the terms of the proposed energy ceasefire, which Ukraine announced on October 10.
“We are done,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Financial Times published on October 15.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized President Zelenskyy for not pursuing peace talks, defended his approach to negotiations with Russia in an essay published on Truth Social.
“I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump noted in a social media post over the weekend, adding that he did not wish to “do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.” Trump wrote in a Sunday tweet.
Trump also accused Zelenskyy of preventing a ceasefire in Ukraine, writing that “he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”
Zelenskyy hit back at Trump’s claims on Monday.
“Ukraine has responded positively to EVERY ceasefire proposal,” he said. “The reality is that the war continues, and it continues solely because of Russian strikes and Russia’s desire to drag this war out.”
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
