- Category
- World
Russia Launches 16 Ballistic Missiles at Kyiv Without Advance Allied Warning, FT Reports
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Roman Kohanets]( "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
Ukraine received no advance warning from its Western partners before the first wave of Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv overnight on October 19, although intelligence arrived ahead of a second wave.
The Financial Times reported on October 19 that Ukraine received only partial intelligence about the Russian missile launches, raising concerns over the reliability of early-warning information shared by its allies.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat confirmed that Russian forces launched two waves of ballistic missiles, at approximately 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. While no warning arrived from Ukraine's partners before the first wave, intelligence was received ahead of the second.
Ihnat explained that Ukrainian forces continued monitoring potential missile launches through their own intelligence sources and radar systems. However, the absence of advance information from partners reduced the time available to warn civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the disruption in a Telegram statement on October 19, emphasizing that the latest attack was not an isolated incident.
"Another Russian ballistic missile attack came in several waves overnight, and once again, there was no advance warning from our partners," Zelenskyy wrote.
According to the Ukrainian president, Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles in a coordinated attack targeting Kyiv and the surrounding region.
Russian forces also deployed more than 200 drones of various types, including jet-powered Shahed drones, against targets across Ukraine, from the Kharkiv and Dnipro regions to Volyn, Rivne, and Odesa.
The overnight strikes targeted energy infrastructure across 11 Ukrainian regions, including Vinnytsia, Volyn, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Odesa, and Rivne.
-3ee22873ffd8cf771f8d8939f7151271.jpg)
Zelenskyy confirmed that more than 10 energy infrastructure facilities were damaged, leaving at least 550,000 households without electricity.
The strikes also damaged a medical clinic, a school, a metro station, and residential buildings. Casualties were reported, while emergency and repair crews worked to restore essential services.
The Ukrainian president linked the attacks to what he described as insufficient pressure on Moscow, criticizing restrictions on air defense missile deliveries and sanctions relief granted to Russia.
"When the supply of missiles for Ukrainian air defense is blocked, while Russia receives sanctions relief or delays, this is, unfortunately, a denial of reality by partners," Zelenskyy stated.
He also emphasized that Ukraine had responded positively to every proposal for a ceasefire, while the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, continued rejecting measures aimed at de-escalation.
The gap in allied early-warning intelligence had already surfaced days earlier, when five Russian ballistic missiles struck civilian infrastructure in Kyiv on October 13 without any advance notice from partners.
That attack was part of a barrage of more than 100 aerial weapons that also destroyed an apartment building in Kharkiv, killing four people and injuring 41 others. Advance intelligence on ballistic launches is critical because the missiles' short flight time leaves civilians and air defense crews only minutes to react.
Discuss this article:
-9a7b3a98ed5c506e0b77a6663f5727c5.png)
