Ukraine war latest: Russian missiles slam central Kyiv before air raid alert sounds

Key developments on Oct. 13:

• Kyiv under 'particularly vile' missile attack before air raid alert issued
• French Navy intercepts Russian shadow fleet tanker in Indian Ocean
• Trump says Ukraine, Russia agree to energy strike ceasefire 'because I said they agreed'
• 'Absolutely unacceptable' — 11 crew members lost at sea after commercial ships hit by drones near Bulgaria's Black Sea coast
• Russian forces use group of civilians as 'human shields' near Kupiansk, fire at them afterwards, Ukraine's military says
• Russian drone strikes university building in Rivne, injures 25

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 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.

At 11:09 p.m., Kyiv Independent journalists reported further explosions in the capital as the attack continued. The cause of the latest blasts was not immediately confirmed.

Ukraine's Air Force later reported that Russian forces had attacked Kyiv with what appeared to be six ballistic missiles at approximately 10:10 p.m. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 13 that it was five ballistic missiles that hit civilian infrastructure.

Zelensky called the strike "particularly vile," adding that there was no early warning from Ukraine's partners about missiles coming.

"Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues. This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed – when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles," Zelensky said.

The Air Force said radar systems detected the incoming missiles during the attack, but that it had received no information about launches from Russian territory. It added that it was investigating why it had received no information about the launches.

Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat confirmed during the national news telethon that the alarm had been sounded only during the missile attack, but said that this had occurred previously, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

The delayed 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.

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that intelligence sharing between the U.S. and Ukraine was ongoing and had not been stopped, during a speech at the Warsaw Security Forum on Oct. 13.

“You probably ask if we receive intelligence from the American side. Yes, we continue this cooperation," he said.

French Navy intercepts Russian shadow fleet tanker in Indian Ocean

The French Navy intercepted and boarded a tanker suspected of flying under a false flag as part of Russia's shadow fleet on Oct. 12, French President Emmanuel Macron announced.

The tanker, DF Peak, was allegedly transporting sanctioned Russian fuel and was halted by the French Navy 450 nautical miles (833 kilometers) south of the French territory of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

"France is determined to combat the ghost fleet, wherever it may be in the world," Macron wrote on X. "This action, carried out in accordance with international maritime law, demonstrates our determination to uphold the rule of law and combat all illicit trafficking, wherever it occurs."

The tanker DF Peak, previously named Kaliningrad, has falsely sailed under the flag of Benin, according to the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence's War and Sanctions portal. The crude oil tanker is sanctioned by the U.S, EU, Switzerland, Canada, and Japan.

The vessel is currently under escort by the French Navy, France's Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said on X.

"International law is not optional," wrote Vautrin. "Our armed forces are fully mobilized to enforce it and combat illicit activities at sea."

Russian state media TASS said the Russian embassy in Paris told them that "France is violating international law by detaining merchant vessels on the high seas and is attempting to cover up piracy by invoking the provisions of the UN Convention."

The DF Peak is just one tanker of Russia's "shadow fleet" — a group of aging, poorly insured tankers used by Moscow to ship out its oil in violation of international sanctions. Western governments have also accused Moscow of using the fleet to support its hybrid war against Europe.

Trump says Ukraine, Russia agree to energy strike ceasefire 'because I said they agreed'

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn on Oct. 12, U.S. President Donald Trump once again said that Ukraine and Russia agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure, despite the confusion around the alleged ceasefire.

"They agreed," said Trump after a reporter pointed out that neither Moscow nor Kyiv confirmed they would refrain from strikes on energy sites. "Do you know why? Because I said they agreed. That's why. They agreed because I said they agreed. And that thing has to get settled."

The U.S. president's comments came after he unilaterally announced an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Oct. 11, causing confusion in Kyiv. According to a senior Ukrainian official, Ukraine had no prior information about an energy ceasefire.

In a short interview after Trump's announcement, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios, "If President Trump negotiated it with (Vladimir) Putin, please tell us when the ceasefire begins. We are ready, and we will accept it."

Russia has nothing to say yet about an energy ceasefire with Ukraine announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Kremlin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Oct. 12.

When asked by a reporter about his response to Russia continuing to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure after his announcement, Trump said there had been violations by both sides, without pointing to any evidence.

Hours after Trump's announcement on Oct. 11, Russia struck Kharkiv’s CHP-5 power plant. In Overnight attacks on Oct. 11-12, at least 10 people were killed and 69 others injured across Ukraine as Russia continued to target residential buildings and energy infrastructure across the country.

Ukraine will halt its strikes against Russian refineries only if Moscow ceases its attacks against the Ukrainian power grid, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 12, signaling that a refinery-only truce makes little sense for a country with a single, badly damaged refinery.

'Absolutely unacceptable' — 11 crew members lost at sea after commercial ships hit by drones near Bulgaria's Black Sea coast

Two cargo ships were struck by drones near Bulgaria's Black Sea coast overnight on Oct. 13, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.

According to Radev, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, registered in Odesa and owned by a Ukrainian company, was hit by three aerial drones about 18 nautical miles east of the coastal town of Byala in Bulgaria.

All 15 crew members, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijani nationals, were evacuated to the port of Varna, and five received medical assistance, Radev said.

He added that another vessel was struck 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, a Bulgarian village, as he was told at an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council under the Council of Ministers.

The vessel sank, and five crew members were rescued, while 11 crew members were still missing at sea, according to Bulgarian officials, reported Reuters. Reuters further said that Bulgarian media had identified the ship as the ⁠cargo ship Azov Concord.

Radev called the attacks "absolutely unacceptable" and said Bulgaria had informed its permanent representatives to NATO and the European Union. Sofia is seeking assistance to strengthen surveillance of the air and maritime domains and improve its response capabilities.

Bulgarian authorities have not established who was responsible for the attacks. Radev said there was no clear and conclusive evidence to attribute responsibility to either the Ukrainian or Russian side, but argued that "the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation." Radev said he would summon Russia's ambassador for a meeting on Oct. 13.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks, saying the Black Sea had become "another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine."

Russian forces use group of civilians as 'human shields' near Kupiansk, fire at them afterwards, Ukraine's military says

Russian forces led a group of civilians toward a gas pipeline, using them as human shields, and afterwards opened fire at them near the front-line city of Kupiansk in Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast on Oct. 13, the Ukrainian military said, providing alleged drone footage of the incident.

The group included two women, a child, and several men who were being led toward the Shebelinka–Ostrogozhsk gas pipeline, according to Ukraine's 13th Khartia Corps. The group came under repeated mortar and artillery fire as it moved.

Drone footage recorded by Ukrainian reconnaissance units showed casualties among the civilians, Khartia said, adding that Ukrainian troops had not opened fire. Based on the impact patterns, the strike originated from the eastern bank of the Oskil River, where Russian forces are positioned, the corps said.

Khartia called the strike a "deliberate provocation" and warned that Russian media could use footage from the incident to falsely accuse Ukraine of attacking civilians. The corps said it would hand over the materials for a war crimes investigation.

"Civilians are used as human shields by the Russians, and then become their target for disinformation campaigns," Khartia wrote.

Ukraine's Joint Forces grouping separately said on Oct. 13 that Russian forces had struck a column of civilians leaving Kupiansk during what it described as a forced evacuation. The military said it was still establishing the number of casualties.

According to the Joint Forces grouping, Russian troops had conducted similar operations in recent weeks, using civilians as human shields to cover the withdrawal of some of their soldiers.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claim.

Russian drone strikes university building in Rivne, injures 25

A Russian drone struck a university building in the northwestern city of Rivne, injuring 25 people, Rivne's National Police branch said on Oct. 13.

Of the 25 injured, two were in critical condition, while three others are under medical examination, the police said.

Ukraine's Education and Science Minister Andrii Butenko said that a fire broke out in a building of Rivne State Humanitarian University as a result of the Russian drone strike. The Faculty of Music building was almost completely gutted by the fire, while neighboring teaching facilities had windows smashed, he added.

Oleksandr Koval, head of Rivne Oblast Military Administration, said on Oct. 13 that the drone strike damaged the second floor of the building. The fire in the building had been contained, and emergency services were on site.

"All victims are receiving medical assistance. Rescuers, police, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and municipal services are working at the scene," Koval said.

According to the university, all students were in shelters at the moment of the attack. There were casualties amongst the university's administrative staff.

At around 10:35 a.m., Ukraine's air force had reported a jet-powered drone flying over Rivne. The air alert was issued in the city at 10:10 a.m.