Six Ukrainian energy sites hit by Russia since Trump announces ceasefire, Zelensky says
Despite the US president announcing energy infrastructure would not be targeted strikes have continued, Ukraine says.
Source: BBC World · October 13, 2026 at 12:01 AM · AI-assisted report
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MOSCOW, 13 OCTOBER 2026 —
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Violating Trump-Brokered Energy Ceasefire as Strikes on Power Grids Escalate
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Monday that Russia had struck six energy facilities across the country—including gas stations, power grids, and railway infrastructure—just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on energy infrastructure, directly undermining the truce’s intended purpose.
The attacks, which caused blackouts in cities like Izyum and triggered new power cuts in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia, have reignited tensions over Trump’s sudden diplomatic intervention, which Ukraine’s leadership says was neither consulted on nor enforced. With 33 people injured in the latest strikes, Zelensky accused Moscow of using the ceasefire announcement as a pretext to escalate rather than de-escalate hostilities, calling the attacks "Putin’s answer to President Trump."
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The ceasefire, declared by Trump on Sunday as "effective immediately," came amid rising global fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections and followed his announcement of a temporary waiver of American sanctions to allow Russian diesel imports into the U.S. market.
The move, which Zelensky dismissed as a "gift" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was framed by Trump as a step toward stabilizing energy supplies—but Ukraine’s state-owned grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported that Russian strikes had already disrupted operations, forcing electricity rationing in multiple regions to prevent further damage.
Zelensky’s skepticism was echoed by European officials, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas cautioning that the ceasefire’s credibility hinged on Russia’s compliance, which so far appeared nonexistent.
"We haven’t yet seen that Russia will stick to it," she told EU foreign ministers on Monday, while Estonia’s foreign minister dismissed the truce as "not working." Meanwhile, Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, separately confirmed a separate drone strike on a 25-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district, killing one person and injuring 11—a development that underscored the broader escalation beyond energy targets.
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The strikes mark the latest escalation in a months-long campaign of mutual attacks on energy infrastructure, with both sides blaming each other for violating unwritten rules of war. Russia has justified its strikes as necessary to disrupt Ukraine’s military capabilities, while Kyiv has framed its own attacks on Russian oil and gas facilities as efforts to cripple Moscow’s war economy.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) shows Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy network have surged this year, with reported incidents rising 2.4 times compared to earlier periods, while BBC Verify’s analysis found Ukrainian strikes on Russian-controlled oil and gas installations more than doubled in 2026 compared to 2025.
Trump’s push for the ceasefire aligns with his repeated calls for Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that such attacks undermine the U.S.’s ability to secure Russian diesel supplies for global markets. However, Zelensky’s refusal to engage with the ceasefire—despite initially calling it a "major step toward ending the war"—reflects deep distrust in Trump’s mediation, particularly after the U.S.
president admitted on Monday that the agreement was secured through unilateral pressure: "They agreed because I said you agree," he told reporters, adding that the conflict "has to get settled."
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The fallout from the ceasefire’s collapse has sent mixed signals across Western allies. While British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French officials expressed support for Trump’s initiative, others remain wary. Canada’s government, though not publicly opposing the ceasefire, has yet to endorse it, and EU leaders have demanded concrete proof of Russia’s compliance before extending diplomatic backing.
The situation has also raised concerns about the broader geopolitical implications, particularly as winter approaches—a season when energy infrastructure attacks traditionally intensify.
For Ukraine, the immediate challenge is managing the humanitarian impact of the strikes. Ukrenergo warned that damaged equipment in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia could lead to prolonged blackouts, forcing authorities to implement rolling rationing to avoid system-wide failures. Zelensky, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), accused Russia of deliberately sabotaging the ceasefire to maintain pressure on Ukraine’s civilian population, stating that the attacks proved Moscow was "unwilling to accept an energy ceasefire."
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The dispute over the ceasefire also exposes deeper divisions within the U.S. and its allies over how to handle Russia’s energy exports. Trump’s decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel—despite Ukraine’s objections—has drawn criticism from Kyiv, which argues that the move only emboldens Putin by providing financial relief to Moscow’s war machine.
Zelensky’s rejection of the ceasefire as a "gift" to Russia underscores Ukraine’s stance that any diplomatic solution must prioritize ending the war, not accommodating Russia’s economic interests.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the idea that Ukraine deserved a ceasefire, framing the conflict as an inevitable clash of interests rather than a negotiable dispute. "Ukraine does not deserve the respite a ceasefire would bring," Lavrov said on Monday, reinforcing Moscow’s position that the war will continue until Ukraine surrenders or collapses under pressure.
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As the situation unfolds, the focus remains on whether Trump’s diplomatic intervention can be salvaged or if the ceasefire will collapse entirely. Zelensky’s refusal to engage with the truce—combined with Russia’s continued strikes—suggests that without direct enforcement mechanisms, the agreement may fail to curb hostilities.
The next critical test will be whether Western powers, particularly the EU, can unite behind a stronger response, such as imposing secondary sanctions on Russian energy exports or pressuring Moscow through other channels.
For now, Ukraine’s energy sector remains under siege, with no immediate relief in sight. The latest strikes have not only disrupted power supplies but also deepened skepticism about Trump’s role as a mediator, leaving Zelensky to warn that "words without action mean nothing" in the face of Russia’s aggression.
The coming weeks will determine whether the ceasefire’s failure marks the beginning of a new escalation—or the end of any hope for a negotiated end to the war.