on a hotel which killed at least four in Ukraine have blamed for withdrawing US intelligence as they received no air raid warning on their mobile phones.
‘s air raid sirens and mobile phone alerts, used widely by civilians and foreign aid workers, are for the most part supported by data provided by US satellites, which can detect aircraft and .
The alerts can give people the vital minutes and seconds they need to evacuate to shelters.
In the last 48 hours, the CIA and US national security adviser, Mike Waltz, announced America was no longer sharing intelligence data with . The US also banned the UK and allies from sharing any American-sourced intel.
President said the deadly Russian attack on the Central Hotel in the southern Ukrainian city Kryvyi Rih was from a ballistic missile.
Karol Swiacki, founder of the Bournemouth-based UK charity UKraine Relief, was in the restaurant of the hotel with three colleagues and Ukrainian friends when the rocket hit.
He told the Express: “We survived, it’s a miracle to be honest with you, I still can’t believe I’m alive.”
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Smoke filled the hotel within seconds of the missile hitting (Image: Karol Swiacki)
Asked if he had an air raid alert on his phone in the wake of US intelligence withdrawal, Mr Swiacki said: “No, we didn’t, thanks to Mr Trump, they cancelled military intelligence.
“I knew Trump was going to be hard on us, I would never in my worst nightmares believe what they were going to do, Trump is playing a game with people’s lives. It’s a terrifying event for us.
“We need partnership and he’s putting targets on friends and shaking the hands of a terrorist. I strongly believe Putin must have something on him. This is inhumane.”
Mr Swiacki, who has previously been recognised with an award from the for his aid work, was in the area with three colleagues delivering generators and school sports equipment to local children.
They had just checked into the hotel and were having dinner with Ukrainian friends, including a pregnant mother and young boy. Thankfully everyone in the restaurant survived, but other guests were not so lucky.
Describing the moment the missile hit, Mr Swiacki said: “The world changed in one second it was a big explosion, my ears are still in pain.
“In seconds the dust, it was a disaster, I thought that I was dying but the thing was I wasn’t worried about myself, I was worried about the people in the restaurant, including the pregnant woman and the child.
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British aid worker Karol Swiacki (left) filmed the aftermath of the Russia missile strike (Image: Karol Swiacki)
“We couldn’t see anything, the dust came in instantly, all this collapses in a few seconds and the fire started and the smoke was everywhere and the dust from the collapsing parts of the building.
“We were in the restaurant, that’s why we survived, we were very lucky. The people in the middle of the hotel they died instantly and there was a guy outside and I helped move the body.”
Russian missile and drone attacks have continued despite negotiations with the US and a meeting about a so-called ‘minerals deal’ between President Trump and President Zelensky in Washington on February 28.
The Oval Office encounter ended in disaster with Mr Zelensky jetting back to Europe shortly afterwards for an emergency summit in London with the Prime Minister and invited European and international leaders.
Mr Swiacki added: “We survived, the whole team, our friends and us. We have recovered the aid from the vans. Our vehicles, they have been demolished, we can’t drive them anymore, but at least we saved some aid
“We’ve got generators and sports equipment for children and after the attack we still went to the school to meet 150 children and they welcomed us like heroes because they are renovating the sports hall
“The message is clear, we have to stand with , the world needs to wake up.”
Flames quickly engulfed the hotel after the missile strike (Image: Karol Swiacki)