Kyiv under missile attack before air raid alert issued

War

Editor's note: This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Kyiv came under missile attack shortly after 10 p.m. local time on Oct. 12, with powerful explosions reported before an air raid alert was issued in the Ukrainian capital, according to Suspilne and Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground.

Kyiv Independent staff reported powerful blasts in central Kyiv, with air raid sirens and mobile notifications sounding only afterward.

There were no immediate confirmed reports of casualties or damage.

The explosions, which preceded the city's air raid alert, prompted speculation on Ukrainian social media about whether the lack of advance warning was connected to reported U.S. threats to withdraw intelligence-sharing support for Ukraine.

Ukraine receives intelligence from the United States to help detect and track Russian missile launches and other aerial threats.

The Kyiv Independent reported earlier on Oct. 12, citing two Ukrainian officials, that Washington had threatened to suspend intelligence sharing unless Kyiv stopped striking Russian energy infrastructure.

There has been no official indication that the timing of the air raid alert was connected to U.S. intelligence sharing, or that Washington had suspended such support.

The Kyiv Independent has reached out to Ukrainian and U.S. officials for comment.