Russia launched an overnight attack with ballistic missiles and drones on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, during which five missiles struck civilian infrastructure, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that his country had not received the usual advance warning from its Western partners about the missile launches before the strike.
Russian attack hit civilian facilities in Kyiv
The Russian attack focused heavily on transport and logistics facilities, while Russia did not target Ukrainian energy installations overnight, for the first time since US President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced on Sunday what he described as a ceasefire in the energy sector. Zelenskyy said the overnight attack on Kyiv was “extremely vile”, adding that five missiles had struck civilian infrastructure.
His remarks came after air-raid sirens sounded in the capital on Monday evening, but several explosions had already rocked the city before the warnings were issued. In a post on X, the Ukrainian president stressed the importance of intelligence on missile launches, saying that “intelligence on Russia launching ballistic missiles helps save lives”, and added that the issue was one of the most important matters for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy did not directly link the failure to receive advance warning to US pressure or threats over the continuation of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Sybiha confirms US intelligence sharing continues
He confirmed that Ukrainian forces had not targeted oil refineries inside Russia since Trump announced the ceasefire in the energy sector. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, for his part, sought to dispel concern over intelligence cooperation with Washington, confirming that Kyiv was still receiving US military intelligence.
Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, Sybiha said the delayed warning of the attack was due to the nature of the weapons used by Russia. Kyiv relies heavily on US intelligence for early warnings of missile strikes.
US pressure focuses on Russian oil refineries
Media reports said US officials had threatened to halt intelligence sharing and arms sales to Ukraine unless it stopped targeting Russian oil refineries. The developments come as Ukraine faces intense US pressure to halt its attacks on Russia’s oil-refining sector.
Kyiv views strikes on oil refineries as one of the few tools available to limit Moscow’s ability to continue the war, as it faces a larger, wealthier and better-equipped adversary. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries for the sharp rise in fuel prices recorded in the United States this year.
The attacks had prompted Moscow to suspend diesel exports, according to the reports. Rising fuel prices are a concern for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the congressional midterm elections due in three weeks.
This puts Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil facilities at the centre of US pressure on Kyiv, while it continues to rely on US intelligence support and arms sales.
