The US may have deliberately withheld an early warning from Ukraine before Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and other areas this week, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Ukrainian officials were told that the system used to detect Russian missile launches had failed because of “bad weather”, the sources said. Officials in Kyiv, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the issue, said they did not believe the explanation and accused the US of “playing” with the system.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had received no advance warning from its partners before a ballistic missile barrage early on Tuesday. When Russia launched another wave at about 3am local time on Wednesday, the US early-warning system appeared to be operating again, according to the sources.
The sources also said American officials had failed to provide intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches during an earlier incident this year, citing the need to divert resources towards the Middle East.
Zelenskyy said Russia had fired more than 39 ballistic missiles and launched more than 120 attack drones and loitering munitions during the latest overnight assault. The strikes mainly targeted energy and critical infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv, killing six people and leaving about 600,000 without power.
The attacks began shortly after Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an “energy ceasefire”. Earlier this week, the Trump administration allegedly threatened to stop sharing intelligence and halt European purchases of US-made weapons for Ukraine through the PURL procurement system unless Kyiv ended deep strikes against Russian energy infrastructure.
Ukraine depends on US intelligence for defensive and offensive military operations, including satellite and aircraft sensor data used to identify Russian aircraft and missile launches. The sources said intelligence-sharing with Ukraine had not stopped overall, describing the failure to warn about this week’s attacks as a specific incident.
Ukrainian officials and soldiers also reported difficulties with Starlink, the satellite communications system owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, during Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Sources in Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence said SpaceX had unilaterally restricted the operation of Starshield military terminals while they were moving on the night of October 14. They said the disruption complicated drone missions and reduced capabilities for frontline logistics, reconnaissance and communications, while backup channels were being tested.
As Zelenskyy arrived in the UK to meet Prime Minister Andy Burnham and other officials, he called for a firm response from the US to the Russian strikes.
“The strike was absolutely deliberate and indicative in its scale — such a demonstrative disrespect from Russia toward America has never happened before,” he said. “Russia does not consider the statements of the President of America to be strong. We ask America and EVERYONE in the world who does not close their eyes to reality to respond, and to respond harshly.”
