Ukraine War: Zelensky: Partners did not warn of Russian attack

Ukraine relies on data from its allies to raise air alerts during Russian airstrikes. President Zelensky says there was no advance warning of an attack on Kiev.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has complained about a lack of advance warning from the country's Western allies following Russian missile attacks on the capital Kiev. “Unfortunately, there was no advance warning from our partners about this attack,” Zelensky said on Telegram. “Intelligence data on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues,” he said.

“But direct or indirect support for Russia, hindering aid to Ukraine and making it more difficult to protect against ballistic attacks - all of this definitely does not contribute to peace,” Zelensky continued. The president did not mention any partner by name, but emphasized that the country needs a strong America, a strong Europe and partners “who really help.” He called for effective pressure on Russia.

In its defense against the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine traditionally relies primarily on reconnaissance data from the US military, but also on that of other NATO member states. After the attack, the Ukrainian air force announced that it needed to be clarified why there was no warning about the Russian attack this time.

The Ukrainian capital had also been surprised by fast ballistic missiles in the past. Citizens had complained that no air alarm had been triggered. Zelensky now spoke of a “sneaky ballistic attack on Kiev - five missiles that hit civilian infrastructure.”

Zelensky also condemned the new Russian attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, in which four people were killed. An ordinary residential building was destroyed there; The search for people buried in the rubble is ongoing, he said. “A total of 41 people were injured in a single evening in Kharkiv alone,” the president continued.

Zelensky again complained that Russia was not complying with US President Donald Trump's call for a ceasefire on attacks on energy facilities. Kiev has not attacked any Russian oil refineries or other targets in the Russian energy sector since the ceasefire was announced. “During this time, the Russians have attacked both our energy facilities and our critical infrastructure,” Zelensky said. 19 regions are affected.