KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces attacked at least six Ukrainian energy installations hours after US President Donald Trump announced an immediate ceasefire covering energy infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The attacks damaged electricity networks, gas facilities, and other infrastructure, leaving communities without power and injuring dozens of people as the Russia-Ukraine war continued.
Speaking on Monday, October 12, 2026, Zelensky said the strikes demonstrated that Russia had not accepted the proposed agreement, despite Trump’s declaration that both countries had committed to ending attacks on each other’s energy facilities.
The Ukrainian leader said 33 people had been injured in the latest attacks.
Russia has not confirmed joining the ceasefire.
Kremlin officials acknowledged continuing discussions but stopped short of announcing an agreement.
Russian Strikes Cause Blackouts Across Ukraine
The attacks damaged energy infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions, including Kharkiv, where a thermal power station was struck shortly after Trump’s announcement.
In Izyum, a city in the Kharkiv region, residents experienced electricity outages after Russian strikes damaged power distribution infrastructure, according to Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform.
Energy and railway facilities in western Ukraine were also targeted.
Ukraine’s national electricity operator, Ukrenergo, reported additional power cuts in parts of Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia, attributing the disruptions to damage sustained during Russian attacks.
The company introduced electricity rationing in affected areas to reduce pressure on equipment and prevent further disruptions.
Zelensky said the targets included a natural gas facility and a petrol station struck by Russian drones.
In an interview with Fox News, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv had refrained from attacking Russian energy facilities after Trump’s announcement.
“We did not attack, while Russia attacked our gas stations, energy infrastructure, and other facilities,” he said, according to BBC News.
Zelensky said the Russian operations showed that Moscow was unwilling to observe the proposed suspension of attacks.
Separately, Russian drones struck residential buildings in Kharkiv and Kyiv, causing deaths and injuries.
Ukrainian authorities said an overnight drone assault involved 121 unmanned aircraft and a guided missile.
Air defences intercepted or suppressed 89 drones, while strikes were recorded at 15 locations.
Trump Announces Ceasefire Without Kyiv’s Prior Agreement
Trump announced the supposed ceasefire on Sunday in a Truth Social post, saying the two countries had accepted an immediate halt to attacks on energy infrastructure.
“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!” he wrote.
The announcement provided no details about negotiations, monitoring arrangements, or consequences for violations.
Zelensky subsequently told Axios that he had not been informed that an agreement had been reached.
He nevertheless welcomed the proposal, saying Ukraine was prepared to suspend attacks on Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow made a reciprocal commitment.
On Monday, Trump maintained that an agreement existed despite reports of continued Russian strikes.
Asked about the attacks, he said he would examine the reports and suggested that both countries had previously violated agreements.
The White House did not provide additional information establishing when the ceasefire took effect or whether Moscow had formally accepted its terms.
Kremlin Says Talks Continue but Rejects Broader Truce
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia and the United States remained in contact over the proposal.
However, he did not confirm that Moscow had accepted an immediate halt to attacks on energy facilities.
Peskov also rejected Zelensky’s separate proposal for a comprehensive 60-day ceasefire, which the Ukrainian president said would allow his country to organise elections under safer conditions.
The Kremlin maintained that it was seeking a lasting settlement rather than a temporary suspension of fighting.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov separately argued that Ukraine did not deserve the pause in hostilities that a ceasefire would provide.
Moscow has maintained that Ukrainian energy facilities can be legitimate military targets when they support the country’s armed forces.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has defended its strikes against Russian oil refineries as operations intended to weaken Moscow’s ability to finance its military campaign.
US Diesel Agreement Deepens Dispute
The failed effort to establish an immediate pause in energy attacks came days after Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow additional Russian diesel supplies into international markets.
The Trump administration subsequently eased restrictions on specified Russian diesel transactions, saying increased supplies could help reduce fuel prices.
Zelensky criticised the arrangement, arguing that additional energy revenues could strengthen Russia’s war effort.
The American president has also urged Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries, blaming those operations for contributing to rising diesel prices.
The disagreement has drawn criticism from American lawmakers in both major political parties.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said European governments supported an effective halt to energy attacks but had seen no evidence that Russia intended to observe one.
On Monday, EU foreign ministers added 1,569 individuals and businesses to the bloc’s sanctions list targeting Russia.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for continued economic pressure on Moscow following the latest attacks on Ukrainian civilian energy infrastructure.
The Reuters report said Zelensky had maintained Ukraine’s willingness to accept a reciprocal agreement while urging Washington to ensure that Russia honoured any commitments.
With attacks continuing and Moscow declining to confirm Trump’s announcement, no mutually acknowledged energy ceasefire was in effect.
