Ukrainian Air Force Spokesperson: Two Rounds of Ballistic Missile Attacks at Night, U.S. Warned Only About One

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yehnat reported on October 19 that Russian forces launched two rounds of ballistic missile attacks against Ukraine overnight, but the United States provided early warning only for the second round. No advance notification was issued to Ukrainian authorities prior to the first attack. The first strike occurred around 11 p.m., while the second took place around 3 a.m. The U.S. did not issue a warning ahead of the first round.

On the same day, President Zelenskyy confirmed that Russia fired 16 ballistic missiles and over 200 drones, targeting multiple regions including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Volyn, Rivne, and Odesa. At least 550,000 households lost power, and more than ten energy facilities were damaged.

Why the "Warning Gap" Is So Critical

Ukraine lacks its own space-based infrared early-warning satellites and relies almost entirely on U.S. satellite systems for detecting Russian ballistic missile launches. A single missile can travel from Russian territory to Kyiv in just minutes. Without satellite-based warnings, air defense systems can only respond once missiles enter ground radar range—reducing time for interception and civilian sheltering to two or three minutes, or even less.

This marks the third consecutive incident involving a warning gap:

  • October 12, evening: Russia launched five ballistic missiles at Kyiv; Ukraine received no advance warning.
  • October 13–14, evenings: Russia fired 39 ballistic missiles; Ukraine stated it received no warning for the initial wave, with alerts only arriving during the subsequent three waves.
  • Between the night of October 18 and early morning of October 19: Yehnat stated there was no warning for the first round, with notification only provided for the second.

Context: Escalating Tensions Between U.S. and Ukraine Over Intelligence Sharing and Starshield Speed Limitations

Over the past week, relations between the United States and Ukraine have remained strained due to several developments:

  • The U.S. reportedly warned that continued Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries could lead to suspension of intelligence sharing.
  • Zelenskyy claimed the U.S. had halted intelligence sharing for three consecutive days, depriving Ukraine of critical ballistic missile warnings.
  • Ukrainian officials also accused SpaceX of throttling military-grade Starshield communication terminals, impairing operational effectiveness.
  • Trump and Rubio denied any interruption in intelligence sharing, stating that data continues to be exchanged.

Zelenskyy told an American media outlet on October 18 that intelligence sharing had resumed, though Starshield services remained far from fully restored.

The clear distinction made by Yehnat between “no warning for the first round, warning for the second” indicates that intelligence sharing has not returned to stable operation but instead exhibits intermittent gaps. In the context of anticipated large-scale Russian winter attacks on energy infrastructure, such gaps pose immediate and tangible risks to Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and civil protection measures.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1879467135331328/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.