A Russian ballistic missile struck a power plant in Kyiv on Tuesday evening without Ukraine receiving advance warning from its Western allies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine relies heavily on Western, particularly US, intelligence to detect incoming Russian attacks and help identify targets of its own.
Kyiv, which is home to some three million people, has come under increasing attack from Russian drones and missiles, with energy infrastructure a key target.
“A Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. Once again, no early warning from our partners,” Zelensky wrote on Facebook.
“The main target was energy infrastructure, specifically the CHP-4. Unfortunately, it was hit.”
AFP journalists in the Ukrainian capital reported hearing several blasts.
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Zelensky said Ukraine‘s systems picked up the missiles only as they were nearing the city.
“This is absolutely unjust: when they are destroying our infrastructure, and Ukraine is not even receiving early warnings about ballistic missile launches,” he added.
At least two people were killed in the same attack, which also struck a residential building in the Desnianskyi district, said Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Around 20 others were wounded, he said.
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Overnight from Monday to Tuesday, Kyiv residents heard explosions from Russian strikes before air-raid sirens sounded, something that has occurred only rarely in the past.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials attributed the situation to the Russian military‘s use of hard-to-detect missiles or potential technical issues.
US President Donald Trump sowed confusion on Sunday with a surprise “energy ceasefire” announcement on his Truth Social network, saying Russia and Ukraine had agreed to end their punishing long-range strikes on power plants and oil refineries.
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Zelensky for strikes on Russian oil refineries and on Saturday suggested it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president”.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
