Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Had No Warning Before Kyiv Strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine received no advance warning from its partners before five Russian ballistic missiles struck civilian infrastructure in Kyiv on October 12, raising questions about the timing of alerts as Russia continued attacks on Ukrainian cities. The explosions were heard in central Kyiv shortly after 10 p.m. local time, before air-raid sirens and mobile notifications sounded, according to journalists reporting from the city. Zelenskyy said intelligence from partners about ballistic missile launches can help save lives. He did not identify which partners Ukraine expected to warn it or assign blame for the lack of warning. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said intelligence cooperation with the United States was continuing. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, Sybiha attributed the late air-raid alert on October 12 to the specific type of weapon Russia used. His explanation addressed the alert’s timing; the available statements did not establish why Ukraine received no advance warning from partners.