Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian forces struck Kyiv’s energy infrastructure with ballistic missiles on the evening of October 13, without prior warning from Western allies. The attack targeted the city’s power grid, specifically damaging the TETs-4 thermal power plant, which serves as a major energy facility for the capital.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the assault also hit a residential building in Kyiv’s Desnianskyi district, igniting a fire across multiple floors. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that emergency services evacuated residents as fires blazed from the first to the eighth floors of the nine-story structure. Meduza confirmed that one person was killed and six others sustained injuries in the strike.
Missile Detection and Warnings
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian defense systems detected the incoming projectiles only as they approached the capital. He noted that the Ukrainian military received no advance intelligence from international partners regarding the launch, mirroring a similar unannounced ballistic attack that struck the city at 22:10 on October 12, involving five missiles.
In Kyiv and the region, as well as in many other regions, efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Russian strike have been underway since last night. It was a complex attack that the Russians tried to plan to cause as much harm to life as possible – ballistic missiles, cruise… pic.twitter.com/A6QNY51ltd
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that its radar systems tracked the targets mid-flight during both incidents because no telemetry data or warnings arrived from outside intelligence providers beforehand. While Politico previously reported that Washington attributed a lack of prior notice on October 12 to adverse weather conditions, tensions over intelligence sharing have persisted. Financial Times reported earlier in the month that the United States threatened to curtail intelligence exchanges unless Kyiv halted strikes on Russian oil refineries, though Washington has not officially confirmed any suspension.
Political Repercussions and Intelligence Disputes
Following the October 13 strike, Zelenskyy criticized the lack of forewarning while urging international partners to recognize who bears responsibility for the ongoing conflict. He stated that Russia continues to target energy grids and civilian lives despite Ukraine supporting a cessation of energy infrastructure attacks.
Ahead of these events, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha maintained that Kyiv continued receiving intelligence feeds from the United States. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly denied on October 13 that Washington had cut off the provision of American intelligence data to Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence assessments indicate that Russian forces are actively preparing additional ballistic missile launches. Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and heed safety measures as emergency crews continue recovery operations across the affected sites in Kyiv.
