Ukraine’s foreign minister has said intelligence cooperation with allies is continuing, after the president reported that no partner gave Kyiv advance notice of a Russian ballistic missile strike on the capital.

No early warning for Monday’s strike

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv in which five missiles hit civilian infrastructure. He described the Monday attack as “particularly vile”. He did not apportion blame for the missing warning, calling it unfortunate.

Sybiha: cooperation continues, Russia’s weaponry is the cause

Speaking in Warsaw, foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said cooperation was continuing. He said the lack of warning over the Kyiv attack was due to a “special type” of Russian weaponry.

According to the minister, that weaponry explained why the warning did not come ahead of the strike.

Why Zelenskyy says early warning matters

Zelenskyy argued that intelligence from western allies “helps saves lives, and this is one of the most critical issues”. On social media he wrote: “This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles.”

He also said: “Direct or indirect support for Russia, delaying aid to Ukraine, and complicating protection of lives from ballistics – this is what will definitely not work.”

What commanders say US intelligence is for

Ukrainian commanders draw a practical line between what Ukraine can find on its own and what it needs from American intelligence sharing:

• •Deep-strike targets inside Russia, including oil refineries, are already marked on Google Maps.
• •Warning of ballistic missile launches and long-range bomber takeoffs is where US intelligence is described as crucial.

Zelenskyy did not blame any partner for the missing warning, calling it unfortunate. Sybiha’s Warsaw statement that cooperation is continuing is the latest response.