Russia Strikes Ukrainian Energy Facilities Hours After Trump Announces Truce

Ukraine has accused Russia of continuing attacks on its energy infrastructure despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to stop targeting each other’s energy facilities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces struck at least six energy-related targets during overnight and morning attacks on Monday, October 12. The reported strikes included a gas production facility and a petrol station hit by drones, raising fresh doubts over whether the proposed ceasefire would take effect.

The announcement by Trump, made over the weekend, took Ukrainian officials and their European allies by surprise. He said the two countries had agreed to an immediate halt to attacks on energy infrastructure but provided few details about the terms or how compliance would be monitored. Moscow had not publicly confirmed accepting the arrangement.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared to respect an energy ceasefire if Russia stopped attacking Ukrainian power facilities and other energy infrastructure. He added that Kyiv had refrained from striking Russian refineries overnight, while calling on Washington to ensure that Moscow honoured any agreement.

The attacks have had serious consequences for civilians. In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Russian strikes killed at least three people overnight, according to local officials, while subsequent attacks on residential buildings injured at least 22 others. Rescue workers searched damaged buildings as emergency crews responded to fires and destruction. At least three additional deaths were reported in the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk on Sunday.

Ukraine’s energy system has faced repeated attacks in recent weeks, with power cuts affecting Kyiv and disrupting essential services, including water supplies and underground transport. The latest strikes have intensified concerns about the country’s ability to maintain electricity and heating as winter approaches.

The Kremlin said discussions about a possible energy ceasefire were continuing, but spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a broader temporary truce, saying Moscow wanted a long-term peace agreement instead. Russia has not confirmed that it accepted Trump’s proposed arrangement.

The dispute has also exposed differences between Washington and Kyiv over attacks on Russian oil refineries. Trump has urged Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, linking them to rising fuel prices. Zelenskyy has argued that any restriction must apply equally to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and energy facilities.

European Union foreign ministers expressed scepticism about Moscow’s willingness to honour the proposed pause and approved a new sanctions package targeting Russia. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said continued attacks on Ukrainian civilian energy infrastructure strengthened the case for maintaining pressure on Moscow.

The latest developments leave the proposed energy ceasefire uncertain, with Kyiv seeking clear guarantees of reciprocity and European governments questioning whether the announcement can translate into a verifiable halt to attacks.