Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Received No Warning Before Russian Missile Attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Tuesday that Western allies failed to provide advance warning of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, raising concerns about Ukraine’s access to critical intelligence as Washington pushes for an energy ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump insisted that the United States continues sharing military intelligence with Ukraine despite reports that Washington threatened to suspend intelligence support and weapons sales unless Kyiv stopped targeting Russian oil refineries.

“We are helping them, and we are sharing intel,” Trump told reporters, emphasizing ongoing US efforts to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Zelenskiy said five Russian ballistic missiles struck civilian infrastructure in Kyiv overnight without the usual early warnings from Western partners. Air raid sirens reportedly sounded only after explosions had already occurred.

“Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives,” Zelenskiy wrote on X, describing early-warning information as essential for protecting civilians.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that US intelligence sharing remained active, suggesting the warning delay resulted from the type of Russian weapon deployed.

Meanwhile, Russia temporarily avoided striking Ukrainian energy facilities following Trump’s proposed energy ceasefire on Sunday. However, Russian forces continued targeting transportation and logistics infrastructure with missiles and drones.

Russian attacks also killed four people in Kharkiv and injured dozens elsewhere in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials.

Trump has urged Kyiv to suspend attacks on Russian refineries, arguing that disruptions to Russian diesel exports have contributed to rising US fuel prices. However, analysts largely attribute the increase to the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

Ukraine considers refinery strikes an important strategy for weakening Moscow’s military financing and war capabilities.

Fabian Hoffmann, a missile specialist at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, warned that European countries have limited capacity to replace American missile-warning systems.

Despite tensions, Zelenskiy reaffirmed Ukraine’s willingness to pursue diplomatic negotiations and support an energy truce if Russia complies.

He also proposed new meetings with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the coming days to discuss potential pathways toward ending the conflict.

Kyiv maintains that any meaningful de-escalation requires reciprocal Russian commitments and continued international pressure on Moscow.