- At least four killed and over 30 injured in a devastating Russian airstrike as Ukraine loses critical U.S. intelligence support
A deadly Russian missile strike rocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday night, just hours after the United States ceased all intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The attack, which targeted a civilian area, left at least four people dead and more than 30 injured, including a 13-year-old girl, according to local officials.
The strike marked a dramatic escalation in Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, occurring at a time when Kyiv finds itself increasingly vulnerable due to the U.S. decision to halt military aid and intelligence-sharing operations. The attack damaged a hotel, residential buildings, schools, kindergartens, and various businesses in the industrious city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.
The missile hit an ordinary hotel located in a densely populated neighborhood, Zelenskyy confirmed in a statement Thursday morning. He lamented the loss of life and highlighted the presence of humanitarian volunteers who narrowly escaped the attack.
“Just before the attack, volunteers from a humanitarian organization — citizens of Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom — had checked into the hotel,” Zelenskyy said. “They survived because they managed to get down from their rooms in time.”
While their survival is a stroke of luck, the attack underscores Russia’s increasing willingness to target civilian areas, a pattern seen repeatedly throughout the war.
Local authorities reported that besides the hotel, the missile strike also damaged 14 residential buildings, two schools, two kindergartens, a post office, and multiple business venues. Kryvyi Rih Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul confirmed in a Telegram post that 28 of the wounded had been hospitalized, with three in extremely serious condition and 11 others in serious condition.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not issued any statements regarding the attack. However, the strike comes at a pivotal moment in the war, coinciding with the U.S. government’s controversial decision to cut all intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
The Biden administration’s move is widely seen as an attempt to pressure Zelenskyy into negotiating a settlement on terms favorable to the U.S., which reportedly include no long-term security guarantees from Washington. This policy shift follows the earlier halt of military aid, which had already weakened Ukraine’s ability to defend against increasing Russian offensives.
As Moscow intensifies its missile and drone attacks, Ukraine’s already strained air defense systems are struggling to keep up. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it managed to shoot down 68 out of 112 Russian drones launched across the country in the past day, but the lack of intelligence-sharing with the U.S. has significantly hindered its ability to preemptively intercept missile threats.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, U.S. intelligence-sharing has played a critical role in helping Ukraine detect and repel Russian missile strikes. The abrupt withdrawal of this support is expected to have dire consequences, as highlighted by international advocacy groups.
“Every day, Ukrainian families rely on timely, accurate intelligence to protect their lives and their children from relentless Russian missile and drone attacks,” said Paul Grod, president of the Ukrainian World Congress, in a statement on Wednesday. “This critical information is not merely strategic support — it is the difference between life and death, providing civilians precious minutes to seek safety underground.”
Without real-time U.S. intelligence, Ukraine’s ability to predict and respond to Russian missile attacks will be significantly diminished, putting millions of lives at greater risk.
The Kryvyi Rih missile strike was not an isolated incident. On the same night, Russia launched a large-scale offensive targeting multiple Ukrainian regions, including Kharkiv, Odesa, and Sumy. The attacks further strained Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, which are already stretched thin due to the depletion of Western-supplied missile stockpiles.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the country has managed to maintain a high interception rate for drones but faces increasing challenges in countering Russia’s missile barrages. Without U.S. intelligence, identifying launch sites and planning defensive countermeasures has become significantly harder.
Washington’s decision to halt intelligence-sharing is widely seen as part of a broader strategy to push Ukraine toward negotiations with Russia. However, Zelenskyy has remained defiant, insisting that any peace deal must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Despite growing international pressure, Kyiv has repeatedly rejected settlements that could freeze the conflict and allow Russia to maintain control over occupied territories. For Ukraine, any deal without strong security guarantees from the U.S. and NATO is seen as a potential repeat of the 2014 Minsk agreements, which ultimately failed to prevent further Russian aggression.
The missile attack on Kryvyi Rih has sparked condemnation from Ukrainian allies, though direct responses from the U.S. and NATO have remained muted in light of recent policy shifts. European leaders have reiterated their support for Ukraine, but questions remain over whether additional aid or intelligence-sharing mechanisms will be reinstated.
Meanwhile, Russia appears to be capitalizing on Ukraine’s growing vulnerabilities. With Kyiv struggling to defend itself, Moscow may escalate its attacks further, potentially targeting critical infrastructure and command centers.
For ordinary Ukrainians, the loss of U.S. intelligence-sharing means a higher risk of deadly missile strikes, fewer warnings before attacks, and increased uncertainty about the future. As the war enters yet another dangerous phase, Ukraine faces a deepening crisis—one that could determine the long-term trajectory of the conflict.
