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Ukraine again received no early warning from its partners before an overnight Russian ballistic missile barrage on Kyiv that targeted energy facilities and left at least 550,000 families without power, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.
"Another Russian ballistic missile attack came in several waves overnight, and once again, there was no early warning from our partners," Zelenskyy wrote on X.
"In total, the Russians launched 16 ballistic missiles in a deliberate attack on Kyiv and the Kyiv region," he added.
Without U.S. early warnings, Ukraine has less time to intercept ballistic missiles and alert civilians to take shelter, deepening a rift with Washington, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted there has been "no pause" in intelligence sharing.
"They again targeted energy facilities and infrastructure, but a medical clinic, a school, a metro station, and ordinary residential buildings were also damaged," Zelenskyy said, adding that more than 10 energy facilities were damaged across 11 regions.
"Ukraine never wanted this war, and we have welcomed literally EVERY attempt by our partners to bring this war to a dignified end. We have responded positively to EVERY ceasefire proposal. Russia’s response, time and again, has been ballistic missiles, ‘shaheds,’ and killings," he wrote.
"When deliveries of missiles for Ukraine’s air defense are blocked while Russia is granted relief or delays in sanctions, this is, unfortunately, a denial of reality on the part of our partners," he said, adding, "The reality is that the war continues, and it continues solely because of Russian strikes and Russia’s desire to drag this war out."
The attack killed one person and injured eight in Kyiv, damaging a private medical facility and a metro station in the Desnianskyi district and sparking a fire at a medical facility in a 25-story residential building, city officials said.
Ukraine's General Staff wrote on Telegram that Russia launched Iskander-M and S-400 ballistic missiles, Iskander-K cruise missiles and 269 drones, including 59 jet-powered Shaheds. Air defenses downed or suppressed four cruise missiles and 243 drones, with hits recorded at 25 locations.
Russia's Defense Ministry announced that it struck a data center, a Fire Point logistics hub producing components for long-range drones and engines for Flamingo cruise missiles, a plant making drone warhead components, a locomotive depot it said stored Flamingo missiles, a plant in Irpin and a cargo ship southwest of Odesa it said carried military goods.
"I believe steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate," Zelenskyy told Bloomberg in an interview Sunday.
"I am not saying that this is the goal our partners are pursuing. I don’t want to think that our American partners believe the war could be ended sooner at Ukraine’s expense. But that’s how it looks," he added.
He offered to halt strikes on Russian refineries in exchange for Patriot interceptors.
"My latest model was: We don’t target Russian diesel, you give us missiles for Patriot systems to protect our facilities. But they just want us to stop attacking diesel. And if we strike that, they will disconnect us from something," he said, adding, "Now, we have dangerous days ahead of the elections."
Zelenskyy said the U.S. supplies only 12 Patriot interceptors a month, about a quarter of the pace under former President Joe Biden.
"We have paid for the weapons. A part of the supplies has been authorized, while the rest haven’t been. And this is not a technical issue," he said.
He said Starlink cuts out at speeds above 161 kph (100 mph) in Ukraine, pointing to "the authorities, the White House,” based on unnamed sources.
"I think that the president of the United States does have a good relationship with Putin. But one thing doesn’t work here. Currently, Trump can’t force Putin to end the war," Zelenskyy said.
"Politics is very aggressive during election time. I think it is agony now, but after elections, life will continue and I believe it will be calmer," he said, concluding, "I believe much more is at stake than the diesel deal."
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