Russia struck six Ukrainian energy facilities within hours of US President Donald Trump announcing an energy ceasefire, raising fresh doubts about efforts to protect vital infrastructure amid the ongoing war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces targeted gas facilities, power infrastructure and other sites despite Trump declaring on Sunday that the truce would take effect immediately. Zelensky described the attacks as a possible response from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the American proposal, according to BBC News.
At least 33 people were injured in strikes on energy facilities across Ukraine, Zelensky said. In the eastern city of Izyum, a Russian attack damaged power grids and caused blackouts, according to Ukraine’s state news agency Ukrinform. Energy and railway infrastructure in western Ukraine also came under attack overnight.
Ukraine’s state grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported further power cuts in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia on Monday. Authorities have introduced electricity rationing in some areas to prevent further damage to an already weakened power network.
The violence also reached the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a drone struck a 25-storey residential building in the Darnytskyi district on Monday evening, killing one person and injuring 11 others. Several cars in the courtyard caught fire.
The latest attacks have cast a shadow over Trump’s ceasefire initiative. Zelensky initially said the proposed truce came as a surprise but welcomed it as a potential step towards ending the war, provided Russia respected the agreement.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, said Ukraine did not deserve the relief a ceasefire would provide.
European leaders have expressed mixed reactions. Britain backed Trump’s call for a lasting halt to attacks on energy facilities, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc would welcome a ceasefire if it was honoured. Estonia’s foreign minister said the arrangement was not working.
With winter approaching, both sides have intensified attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine says such strikes threaten civilian life and essential services, while Moscow argues that the facilities it targets support Ukraine’s military efforts.
For millions of Ukrainians, the latest violence leaves a pressing question; can a ceasefire protect homes, power supplies and lives when the fighting continues?
