Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says partners gave ‘no warning’ ahead of Russian ballistic strikes

Massive strikes overnight hit the capital Kyiv, and damaged power stations, killing at least one person and cutting power to hundreds of thousands.

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Employees examine the damage at a candy shop after a Russian missile strike in central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, October 19, 2026
The strikes hit Kyiv, including this candy shop in the city centerImage: Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo/picture alliance

A barrage of Russian ballistic miles struck Kyiv and the surrounding region on Monday, killing at least one person and knocking out power to over half a million homes, Ukrainian authorities said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Russia had launched 16 ballistic missiles, targeting Ukraine’s energy facilities, 10 of which were hit, cutting power to some 550,000 households.

The president also lamented the lack of warning from Ukraine’s international partners.

“Another Russian ballistic missile attack came in several waves overnight, and once again, there was no early warning from our partners,” he wrote.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported strikes, which included cruise missiles and drones, hitting 25 locations. Of the 269 recorded Shahed drones deployed in the overnight attack, Ukrainian air defenses reportedly downed or suppressed 243, as well as four missiles.

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Moscow says it hit drone, missile hubs in Ukraine

Russia’s Defense Ministry also confirmed the “massive strikes” on Monday, saying it had targeted Ukraine with “ground-based high-precision weapons and strike drones.”

The ministry said it had hit a Ukrainian data center, a logistics hub storing components for drones and cruise missiles, a train depot storing missiles and an industrial facility involved in the production of drones.

It also said it had struck a bulk carrier in the Black Sea, some 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the port of Odesa, which the ministry said had been carrying military and dual-use cargo.

Ukraine did not confirm those targets but said that a medical facility had been hit in the capital, as well as one of the city’s metro stations, according to a post by the Kyiv City Military Administration on Telegram.

A police officer inspects the site of a fitness club building hit by a Russian missile strike,
A police officer inspects the site of a fitness club that was hit by a missile Image: Valentyn Ogirenko/REUTERS

Kyiv, Washington disagree over pause to intelligence sharing

The overnight strikes come amid contradictory claims by both Ukraine and the US about pauses to intelligence sharing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Washington had not paused some of its intelligence sharing, denying a statement Zelenskyy made on Sunday.

“I don’t know where [Zelenskyy’s] getting these things ​or why he’s saying these things to the press. You should go back and ask him. There’s been no pause,” Rubio said during a visit to Uzbekistan.

“What he should ​focus on, and what we want to be focused on, is bringing an end to this war. That’s what he should be focused on,” he added.

Ukraine is dependent on the ability of US intelligence to spot fast-moving ballistic missiles fired by Russia. Some recent attacks have taken place without warning, Ukrainian officials have reported.

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Edited by: Karl Sexton

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