Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Western partners of failing to provide timely intelligence warnings ahead of another major Russian assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The overnight attack, involving ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, damaged critical facilities, killed a young woman and disrupted essential services for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Speaking Monday, Zelenskyy said Russian forces targeted 28 electrical substations and other vital energy installations, leaving more than 500,000 people without electricity, heating or running water. Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles toward Kyiv and its surrounding region, with authorities confirming that a 21-year-old woman was killed in the capital.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Kyiv received no advance intelligence from its international partners before the initial wave of strikes. Information about a subsequent attack reportedly arrived too late for authorities to activate air raid sirens, raising concerns about gaps in intelligence-sharing arrangements that have been crucial to Ukraine’s defence.
The developments come amid growing uncertainty over Washington’s support for Kyiv. Zelenskyy has expressed concern about recent decisions by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, including the easing of sanctions against Moscow and an agreement to import Russian diesel. He also highlighted delays in critical American military supplies and a severe shortage of Patriot air defence systems, which has left Ukraine increasingly exposed to Russian missile attacks.
Ukraine’s military operations have also faced complications involving SpaceX’s satellite internet services. According to Zelenskyy, restrictions affecting the military-grade service have disrupted Ukrainian drone operations. Although broader access was being restored late last week, remaining speed limitations continue to affect drones operating along sections of the front line.
Washington has denied suspending intelligence assistance to Ukraine. Trump has maintained that the United States continues to share information with Kyiv, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that position Monday, saying he had no details about the latest Russian strikes.
Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, claimed its attacks targeted military-related infrastructure, including a data centre, a logistics facility storing drone and cruise missile components, an industrial site manufacturing drone parts and a locomotive depot allegedly used to store missiles.
The renewed bombardment comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. Trump has accused Zelenskyy of resisting efforts to reach a peace agreement, while Ukrainian officials insist that Kyiv has supported every credible initiative aimed at ending the conflict. A recent U.S.-backed ceasefire arrangement covering energy infrastructure has also failed to prevent further attacks.
Zelenskyy rejected suggestions that Ukraine was responsible for prolonging the war, maintaining that his government had consistently supported ceasefire proposals and diplomatic negotiations. He argued that continued Russian military operations remain the principal obstacle to achieving a lasting settlement.
Despite mounting pressure, Ukrainian forces continue resisting Russian advances while carrying out long-range strikes against strategic targets inside Russia. On Sunday, Ukraine reportedly launched more than 1,000 drones toward Russian territory in one of its largest aerial operations of the conflict, triggering fires at an oil export terminal and a storage depot in St. Petersburg.
The prolonged bombardment is also taking a significant toll on Ukrainian civilians. Residents of Kyiv described growing exhaustion from repeated nighttime attacks, frequent air raid warnings and mounting damage to residential and commercial areas.
Serhii Brezhniuk, whose shopping mall store was damaged in the latest assault, said repeated attacks had become part of everyday life. Another resident, Alla Suska, 66, described widespread sleep deprivation among people struggling with continuous air raid alerts.
Maksym Maksymovych, 44, said the latest attack damaged his son’s school, adding to fears that Russian strikes are moving increasingly closer to civilian neighbourhoods.
With Ukraine facing renewed attacks on its energy network and uncertainty surrounding Western military assistance, the latest escalation highlights the country’s continuing vulnerability as the war enters its fifth year.
