Ukrainian armed forces admitted that they received no advance warning regarding Russian missile launches prior to the attack on Kyiv on the evening of October 12.
The missiles were detected while the attack was already underway, triggering questions concerning the flow of American intelligence to Ukraine.
Reports expressed the assessment that the United States may have stopped providing Ukraine with intelligence on missile launches.
However, there is no official confirmation of such a decision, while Ukrainian officials caution that hasty conclusions should not be drawn.
At the same time, according to reports by the Financial Times and CNN, the administration of Donald Trump has threatened to curtail intelligence sharing and supplies of American weapons if Kyiv does not halt attacks against Russian energy facilities.
Ukrainian forces were unaware of the launches
The Air Force of Ukraine announced that on the evening of October 12 it possessed no advance intelligence regarding Russian missile launches against targets in Kyiv.
According to preliminary data, six ballistic missiles struck various facilities.
«We received no information regarding launches from adversary territory. The causes are under investigation», the Ukrainian Air Force stated.
As Ukrainian military personnel explained, radar detected the missiles while the attack had already started.
At 22:09, the Air Force warned that a high-speed target was approaching Kyiv.
Shortly thereafter, explosions were heard across the city.
According to the Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli, the missile alert was activated only at 22:10.
Journalists from The Kyiv Independent reported hearing powerful explosions in central Kyiv.
According to their observations, sirens and mobile phone alerts were triggered after the explosions had already taken place.
The publication requested comments from Ukrainian and American representatives to clarify whether the alert delay was related to intelligence sharing between Washington and Kyiv.
Klitschko: Strikes on transport infrastructure and a warehouse
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, announced that emergency services were heading to the struck sites.
«In the Dniprovskyi district, a missile struck a transport infrastructure facility», he wrote.
Later, Klitschko added that in the Desnianskyi district a missile struck a four-story warehouse building.
The mayor did not specify exactly which transport facility was hit or what the warehouse contained.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that on the night leading into October 13 the Russian army carried out coordinated strikes with high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles.
According to Moscow, targets included Ukrainian defense industry facilities, logistics support centers, railway and port infrastructure, as well as vessels used to transport military cargo.
The Russian ministry claimed that in Kyiv facilities of the enterprise Pulp Mill Print, where long-range missiles and drones were manufactured, were struck.
It also announced a strike on the Darnytsia locomotive depot.
Did the US stop providing intelligence?
Following the attack, media outlets formulated the hypothesis that the United States may have stopped warning Kyiv about Russian missile launches.
According to The Kyiv Independent, American intelligence helps Ukraine track missiles and other aerial threats.
However, the newspaper noted that there has been no official announcement regarding a cessation of providing such intelligence.
An adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, Serhiy Beskrestnov, known by the callsign Flash, urged against jumping to hasty conclusions.
«It is not the first time that the launch of an S-400 has not been recorded by our partners' intelligence services», he wrote.
A similar stance was expressed by Andriy Kovalenko, former head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Kovalenko stated that the delayed activation of the siren was not linked to American threats to halt intelligence sharing.
The ultimatum
On October 11, the Financial Times reported that the United States demands that Ukraine halt attacks against Russian oil refineries.
According to European officials cited by the publication, American representatives reached out by telephone to Ukrainian authorities and their European allies.
According to the same reporting, they warned that Washington could halt the provision of intelligence to Ukraine and block purchases of American weapons for Ukrainian armed forces.
According to a source cited by The Kyiv Independent, among those who received the relevant calls were the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Pavlo Palisa, and Mykhailo Drapatyi.
«They are telling everyone that they will cut off both intelligence sharing and PURL», a Ukrainian official told the publication.
PURL is a weapons procurement program for Ukrainian armed forces under which allies of Ukraine fund the purchase of American weapons systems and subsequently deliver them to the Ukrainian military.
According to the Financial Times, Washington threatened to suspend that specific program if Kyiv continues striking Russian refineries.
CNN: Trump threatens to block intelligence and US weapons
CNN reported information on a corresponding American warning.
Two European officials told the television network that the administration of Donald Trump may halt intelligence sharing with Ukraine and American arms sales to European countries destined for Ukrainian forces.
According to the same sources, the threat is tied to the demand to halt Ukrainian attacks against Russian energy facilities.
This warning comes at a time when Kyiv relies significantly on western intelligence support for the timely detection of aerial threats.
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