MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. Ukrainian air defense systems were unable to fend off ballistic missile launched by Russia in time due to a lack of necessary data from Kiev’s Western partners, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yury Ignat said.
TASS has compiled 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 attributed this lack to "technical issues," noting this is not the first time this kind of thing has happened.
- 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 during the attack on Kiev.
- The Ukrainian air force also said that the reasons for the incident are being established.
- On the evening of October 12, Ukrainian media reported that explosions were heard in Kiev before an air raid alert was announced.
Possible reasons
- Ignat told the Rada television channel that specialists would investigate the incident and work 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 clarifying the reasons for the disruption in the transmission of intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches amid various theories circulating online.
- The center noted that one possibility was that the transfer of intelligence to Ukraine had been suspended, although official information was still being clarified.
- The European edition of Politico reported that US President Donald Trump could deprive Ukraine of US intelligence or pressure entrepreneur Elon Musk to disconnect Starlink satellite internet, on which the Ukrainian military heavily relies.
- The Financial Times newspaper reported, citing unnamed European officials, that the US administration was threatening to halt 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 stopped 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 called the United States transferring intelligence to Kiev the only reason the Ukraine conflict has not yet ended.
Russia-US agreements, Zelensky’s position
- According to Politico, the recent Russia-US diesel agreements came "in a wretched month for Ukrainians, ahead of a fast-approaching frigid winter."
- This made Vladimir Zelensky think about "how angry he can actually afford to be."
- Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a phone call on October 9 in 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 ahead of schedule and is ready to supply 300,000 tons of diesel in October, increasing 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.