Ukraine Accuses Russia of Violating Trump's Declared 'Energy Ceasefire'

Ukraine has accused Russia of continuing to strike energy facilities, including a power plant in Kyiv, despite a purported "energy ceasefire" announced by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump posted on social media Saturday that "both parties" had agreed to an energy ceasefire and warned against breaking the deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded that the announcement was "news for me," but indicated Ukraine would adhere to such an agreement if Russia also did.

However, Zelensky stated that within hours of Trump's announcement, Russia launched attacks on energy infrastructure in Kyiv and the Kharkiv region.

"Just before our conversation, the Russians struck a power plant in Kyiv with a 'shahed' drone, and many districts experienced power outages," Zelensky said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Later, there were strikes on energy facilities in the Kharkiv region. And all of this happened AFTER the President of the United States made his statement about an energy ceasefire."

Russia has previously targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, aiming to disrupt power, heat, and water supplies, a strategy Ukrainian officials have described as "weaponizing winter." Zelensky reiterated Ukraine's readiness to refrain from striking Russian energy infrastructure, provided Russia reciprocates.

Trump's announcement came days after he reportedly brokered a deal for Russia to supply nearly two million tonnes of diesel fuel to the U.S. in the coming months, a move intended to address rising fuel prices ahead of midterm elections. Ukrainian and European officials have expressed dismay over the diesel deal, suggesting it could fund Russia's war effort.

Zelensky has previously urged Trump to press Moscow to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. In an interview broadcast earlier on Sunday, Zelensky stated that Ukraine was willing to cease striking Russian refineries if Moscow stopped attacks on Ukraine's energy system. He noted that Ukraine had proposed many de-escalatory steps in the past, but received only negative responses from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump also recently called for Ukraine to get a new president, suggesting Zelensky had not done enough to end the war and blaming him for high U.S. diesel prices. Zelensky responded that Ukraine could hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, though he acknowledged that elections under martial law, with a significant portion of the country occupied and millions displaced, would be logistically challenging and legally complex.

In parallel with the diplomatic statements, Ukraine has continued its long-range aerial campaign. On Sunday, a drone attack disabled a data center in Vladimir, east of Moscow, operated by the technology company Yandex. This was the third such strike on Yandex facilities in four days, causing widespread disruptions to its services across Russia and neighboring countries. Previously, drone attacks had targeted Yandex data centers in the Ryazan and Kaluga regions.