MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. Ukrainian air defense systems were unable to intercept Russian ballistic missiles in time due to a lack of necessary data from Kiev’s Western partners, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yury Ignat said.

Vladimir Zelensky later confirmed this information.

TASS has summarized the key facts about the situation.

Lack of data

- Ukrainian air defense systems were unable to respond to Russian ballistic missile launches in time due to a lack of necessary data from Kiev’s Western partners, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yury Ignat said.

- He blamed the shortfall on "technical issues," noting that this was not the first time such an incident had occurred.

- Earlier, the Ukrainian air force confirmed that the country’s air defenses had been unable to receive data on Russian ballistic missile launches in time, adding that the ballistic targets were only detected by radar systems as the attack on Kiev was underway.

- The Ukrainian air force also said that the cause of the incident was being determined.

- On the evening of October 12, Ukrainian media reported that explosions were heard in Kiev before an air raid alert was issued.

- Later, Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine had not received intelligence from its partners before the overnight explosions.

- He called intelligence one of the most critical issues.

Possible reasons

- Ignat told the Rada television channel that specialists would investigate the incident and coordinate with Western partners to resolve the problem.

- Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council said on its Telegram channel that it was looking into the reasons for the disruption in the transmission of intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches as various theories circulated online.

- The center noted that one possibility was that the transfer of intelligence to Ukraine had been suspended, although official details were still being verified.

- The European edition of Politico reported that US President Donald Trump could cut off US intelligence to Ukraine or pressure entrepreneur Elon Musk to disconnect Starlink satellite internet, on which the Ukrainian military depends heavily.

- The Financial Times newspaper reported, citing unnamed European officials, that the US administration was threatening to suspend the weapons procurement program and the provision of intelligence to Ukraine.

- Meanwhile, the Ukrainian news outlet Strana noted that there had been no official information confirming that the United States might have halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

- Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga also said that Kiev continues to receive intelligence from the United States.

- The European Commission has received no notifications from Washington regarding a suspension of intelligence sharing with Kiev, EC Spokesman Christian Wigand said at a briefing in Brussels.

- Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the US Senate Armed Forces Committee, also stated that the United States was sharing intelligence with Ukraine.

Opinions

- Ukrainian lawmaker Galina Yanchenko previously said that if the transfer of US intelligence to Kiev were suspended, Ukrainian authorities would be unable to obtain timely information on Russian ballistic missile launches.

- US journalist Tucker Carlson described US intelligence sharing with Kiev as the only reason the Ukraine conflict has not yet ended.

- Ukrainian authorities risk being unable to reach a bunker in time during Russian missile strikes without US intelligence, Andrey Klintsevich, head of the Center for the Study of Military and Political Conflicts, told TASS.

Russia-US agreements, Zelensky’s position

- According to Politico, the recent Russia-US diesel agreements came "in a difficult month for Ukrainians, with a bitterly cold winter fast approaching."

- This made Vladimir Zelensky think about "how angry he could actually afford to be."

- Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a phone call on October 9 during which they discussed petroleum product supplies, among other things.

- The Russian leader said that Moscow had reiterated its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the United States and global markets.

- According to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Russia is lifting its ban on diesel exports earlier than planned and is ready to supply 300,000 tons of diesel in October, raising the volume to 500,000 tons in November and one million tons in December. Monthly supplies could subsequently reach three million tons.

- The US administration, in turn, issued a general license authorizing Russian diesel supplies to the global market until April 7, 2027.

- Zelensky criticized Trump for agreeing to lift sanctions on Russian diesel fuel supplies, describing the move as "obvious weakness."