Zelenskyy says Ukraine got no early warning from partners as Russia hits power grid again

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Published – October 19, 2026 07:52 pm IST – Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Russia launched new attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday (October 19, 2026), adding that Kyiv again received no early warning of the attack from partner countries that previously shared that intelligence.

Mr. Zelenskyy is grappling with recent Washington moves benefiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, including waiving U.S. sanctions on Moscow and signing a deal to import diesel from Moscow.

Another Russian ballistic missile attack came in several waves overnight, and once again, there was no early warning from our partners. They again targeted energy facilities and infrastructure, but a medical clinic, a school, a metro station, and ordinary residential buildings were also damaged. In total, the Russians launched 16 ballistic missiles in a deliberate attack on Kyiv and the Kyiv region. The Russians also launched more than 200 drones of various types, including jet-powered “shaheds,” with attacks spanning from the Kharkiv and Dnipro regions to the Volyn, Rivne, and Odesa regions. Sadly, there are casualties. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Those who were injured are receiving assistance. Overnight and this morning, Russia attacked energy facilities in the Vinnytsia, Volyn, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Odesa, and Rivne regions. In this one night alone, more than 10 energy infrastructure facilities were damaged, and the lights went out for at least 550,000 families. Repair crews are working at the sites.

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. Putin not only doesn’t want to end this war – he doesn’t even want to take any steps toward de-escalation. EVERY ONE of our partners has experienced this firsthand when they heard Russia’s refusals. And it is crucial to call things what they are. To call the aggressor an aggressor and help Ukraine defend lives. 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. The reality is that the war continues, and it continues solely because of Russian strikes and Russia’s desire to drag this war out. I thank everyone who recognizes this reality and helps Ukraine!

In parallel, limits on Kyiv's use of the military-grade version of U.S. company SpaceX's satellite internet service have choked Ukrainian drone operations, according to Mr. Zelenskyy. Also, a severe shortage of American-made Patriot air defence systems has made Ukraine more vulnerable.

Western intelligence sharing has helped Ukraine counter Russia's devastating ballistic missiles and hold back Moscow's invasion, which began more than 4½ years ago.

U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington hasn't stopped providing intelligence to Kyiv. Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeated that position on Monday (October 19), saying he had no information about the previous night's Russian attack.

The Russian nighttime barrage damaged more than 10 energy infrastructure facilities across Ukraine, depriving more than half a million people of electricity, heat and running water, Mr. Zelenskyy said on social media.

Russia fired 16 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and its surrounding region, Mr. Zelenskyy said, with officials in the capital reporting a 21-year-old woman was killed.

The Russian Defence Ministry said that it struck Ukrainian targets including a data centre, a logistics hub storing components for drones and cruise missiles, an industrial facility making drone components, and a locomotive depot where missiles are stored.

Donald Trump accuses Mr. Zelenskyy of not wanting the war with Russia to end. Washington's efforts to bring peace, meanwhile, have failed, including a recent truce covering energy infrastructure that Mr. Trump had demanded.

Help from Western allies has been vital for Ukraine's defence against Russia's bigger military, but fears have mounted that Mr. Trump may be turning his back on Ukraine.

Western analysts and officials say Mr. Putin believes that he can wait for foreign support for Ukraine to unravel and that Russia's bigger military will then crush Ukraine's resistance.

“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,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on social media. “The reality is that the war continues, and it continues solely because of Russian strikes and Russia's desire to drag this war out.”

Ukraine has held back Moscow's forces on the front line and has hit back with long-range strikes deep inside Russia on oil refineries that triggered fuel shortages.

On Sunday (October 18), Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war, setting fire to an oil export terminal and a depot in St. Petersburg.

Russia has sought to disrupt daily life in Ukraine by attacking trains, shopping malls, gas stations and supermarkets, among other sites.

Kyiv resident Serhii Brezhniuk, owner of a shopping mall store that was damaged on Monday (October 19), said he had grown used to the relentless bombardment.

“It's what we see every single day,” he told The Associated Press. “We've grown accustomed to it.”

Alla Suska, 66, said she noticed many people walking around with bags under their eyes from a lack of sleep.

“Since there are attacks every night and air raid alerts all day long, naturally, we don't get any proper rest,” she said.

Maksym Maksymovych, 44, said he felt the tension mounting amid Russia's escalation, saying his son's school was damaged in the latest attack.

“You sort of get used to all these events — after all, we've been living in Kyiv since the war began — but you can see the explosions drawing closer and closer,” he said.

U.S. and Russian officials said on Monday (October 19) that talks are continuing on the possibility of a trilateral meeting involving Putin, Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at an APEC summit in China next month to try to negotiate a deal on Ukraine, without Kyiv's participation. The possibility was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Rubio said he was aware of the possibility. “I mean, I think there have been talks of a meeting. I don't know if anything's been finalised,” he told reporters.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that while the possibility of such a meeting has been mentioned, “no substantive proposals or agreements regarding the meeting itself nor its potential agenda and content have been discussed or put forward by anyone.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha dismissed the idea of an end to the war being discussed without Kyiv officials being present, saying it would embolden Putin.

“Inviting Putin to such a meeting would feed his appetite for self-aggrandisement and give him a stature he does not deserve,” Mr. Sybiha said on X.

Lithuania is raising alert levels at more than 15 strategic infrastructure sites after an arson attempt Sunday at a Starlink base station in Vilnius, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said on Monday (October 19).

European officials and law enforcement have warned repeatedly that Russia is waging a hybrid war against Europe, including sabotage, arson and vandalism, as well as influence operations.

Published – October 19, 2026 07:52 pm IST

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Fonte: The Hindu – International