Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of continuing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure despite US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to halt strikes on energy facilities.
Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland on Monday, October 12, Zelenskyy said Ukraine learned about the proposed agreement through media reports. He stated that Kyiv was prepared to respect the arrangement if Russia also agreed to suspend attacks on energy installations.
“We support it, but I have not heard approval of this proposal from the Russian side,” Zelenskyy said.
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Trump announced the purported agreement in a social media post on Sunday, claiming that the ceasefire on energy facilities would take effect immediately. However, his statement provided few details about the terms or implementation of the arrangement.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was surprised that Russian forces continued attacking energy-related facilities after Trump’s announcement. The reported targets included a power plant in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, a gas production facility and a civilian gas station.
“It was clear that Putin does not read Truth Social,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Trump’s social media platform.
Trump previously announced an agreement to stop attacks on energy infrastructure on September 14, but the proposed arrangement did not produce a lasting halt to the strikes.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian energy facilities during the war, disrupting electricity, heating and water supplies for civilians. Ukrainian officials have warned that Moscow could intensify such attacks as winter approaches, describing the strategy as an attempt to use freezing temperatures to weaken public resistance.
Ukraine has also carried out attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries located deep inside Russian territory.
Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes for contributing to high diesel prices in international markets. On Friday, he also announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase Russian diesel as part of efforts to address rising fuel costs ahead of the US midterm elections.
Speaking on Monday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared to stop attacking Russian refineries if Moscow agreed to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy system.
He urged Trump to pressure the Russian government to accept the proposed ceasefire, warning that Ukraine would respond if Russian attacks continued during the winter.
“We are waiting for the details of the conversation between the Americans and the Russians, and we are waiting to see what specific steps the Americans are ready to take,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that an energy ceasefire could become an important step towards ending the conflict if both sides committed to implementing it.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed the possibility of suspending attacks on energy infrastructure but expressed doubts about Russia’s willingness to honour such an agreement.
“We haven’t yet seen that also Russia will stick to it,” Kallas said on Monday during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
She added that a broader ceasefire should also prevent the killing of people, rather than focus exclusively on energy facilities.
Trump’s reported agreement with Putin to purchase Russian diesel has also attracted criticism from officials in the United States, Ukraine and Europe.
On Sunday, a bipartisan group of six US senators, including four Republicans, urged the Trump administration to reverse the decision. They argued that the United States should not provide Russia with financial support while its military continues to kill Ukrainian civilians.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna also questioned whether the deal would significantly reduce fuel prices, suggesting that the decision was more closely linked to domestic political considerations in the United States.
Meanwhile, Kallas rejected Trump’s recent suggestion that Ukraine should have a new president, arguing that holding elections during the ongoing war would be inappropriate without a ceasefire.
Zelenskyy similarly maintained that conducting elections under current wartime conditions would be difficult, particularly as Russian forces continue attacks during both daytime and nighttime.
However, he said he would be willing to work towards organising elections if Ukraine secured a full ceasefire lasting at least 60 days.
The diplomatic discussions came as Russian attacks continued across Ukraine.
Two people were injured in Russian daytime strikes on Kyiv on Monday, according to the city’s military administration. Falling debris also triggered a fire at a private residential building in the Darnytskyi district, while other debris landed near homes in the Solomianskyi district and on a warehouse in Darnytskyi.
In a separate attack on Sunday evening, a Russian drone strike on the village of Pisochyn in the Kharkiv region killed three people and injured nine others, including children, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Investigators said the attack hit a densely populated area close to apartment buildings and grocery stores, triggering a fire.
Ukraine’s Air Force said its air defence systems shot down or suppressed 89 of the 121 Russian drones launched overnight into Monday. The attack also involved a Kh-59 guided air-to-surface missile and included 76 jet-powered Shahed-type drones.
Strikes were recorded at 15 locations, while debris from intercepted drones fell at four locations.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 151 Ukrainian drones overnight across Russian regions, Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, and parts of the Black Sea.
The ministry also reported drone strikes against unspecified Ukrainian port infrastructure and a bulk carrier travelling towards Odesa with military cargo on board.
The continued attacks have raised further questions about whether the proposed energy ceasefire can be implemented, as diplomatic efforts to end the war face persistent disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv.
Source: AP
