Russian ballistic missiles struck a key heating and power plant in Kyiv late on Tuesday, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had received no early warning from its partners. It was the second night in a row that the capital was hit. The target was Darnytska CHP-4, a combined heat and power plant serving parts of the city's left bank, Zelenskyy said. A residential high-rise was also struck. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported two dead and 21 injured, after earlier figures of one dead and 13 injured. By early Wednesday, he said, the attacks had cut power to parts of the city and residents were urged to stay in shelters.
The lack of warning has become a political issue. Ukrainian commanders say US intelligence is not needed to pick targets for deep strikes on Russia, but that it is crucial for alerting Ukraine to ballistic missile launches and long-range bomber take-offs. Zelenskyy said such warnings "help save lives" and called it "deeply unfair" that Russia was destroying energy infrastructure while Ukraine received none. Over the weekend, US officials reportedly warned Kyiv that Washington was close to halting intelligence sharing. President Donald Trump denied on Tuesday that sharing had stopped: "We are sharing intel," he said. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also said cooperation continued and blamed the missed warning on a "special type" of Russian weapon, without naming it. A Ukrainian air force spokesperson said such information gaps happen fairly often and would be fixed with partners. Last year Trump briefly ordered intelligence sharing paused after a clash with Zelenskyy; it resumed about a week later.
Behind the row is a dispute over oil. Trump wants Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries, as he faces pressure over fuel prices in the United States before congressional midterm elections in three weeks. Diesel prices have reportedly doubled since the war in Iran began. On Friday he announced a deal with Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel, easing earlier sanctions. On Sunday he said Russia and Ukraine had agreed an "energy ceasefire", which Zelenskyy called "news to me". Kyiv says it did not hit Russian refineries or energy sites in the following two days, while Russia kept striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure and attacked 19 regions. Zelenskyy says he would halt refinery strikes only on a reciprocal basis with real guarantees. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine did not deserve a "respite". The Kremlin acknowledged that talks were under way but gave no details. The Financial Times reported that Washington has also threatened to suspend the scheme through which European allies buy US weapons, including Patriot missiles, for Ukraine.
Elsewhere, a Russian strike on a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, killed four people and injured 41. A Russian drone hit a school in Rivne in the northwest, injuring 20. Off Bulgaria's coast, two cargo ships were hit by drones and one sank, leaving 11 sailors missing. Bulgaria summoned Russia's ambassador; its prime minister said the outcome "benefits the Russian Federation", though Sofia stopped short of accusing Moscow directly.
Why this matters: Russia is intensifying attacks on Ukraine's power grid as winter approaches, while Kyiv's air defences and Patriot stocks are strained. Any disruption of Western intelligence or arms channels could directly affect civilian protection. Zelenskyy is due to meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday to discuss speeding up air defence deliveries.