Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Striking Energy Sites After Trump Ceasefire Claim

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 12 October 2026 that Russian forces struck six energy facilities after US President Donald Trump declared an energy ceasefire effective immediately. Zelenskyy listed attacks on gas stations, power grids and other infrastructure. He reported 33 people injured in the strikes.

Trump posted on Truth Social on 11 October that both sides had agreed to the ceasefire. He provided no further details. Zelenskyy said Ukraine learned of the claim through media reports and had not been consulted in advance. He stated that Ukraine is ready to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Russia stops attacks on Ukrainian energy systems.

Overnight and into Monday, Russian drones and missiles hit sites in the Kharkiv region, including a Naftogaz gas production facility that caught fire. Power grids were damaged in Izyum, causing blackouts. A drone struck a 25-storey residential building in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district. Ukrenergo introduced electricity rationing in parts of the country to protect remaining equipment.

Zelenskyy told the Warsaw Security Forum by video link that the attacks were Russia’s answer to Trump. He called on the United States to ensure Moscow respects the arrangement. He also said elections suspended during wartime could be held if Moscow agreed to a full 60-day ceasefire. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said contacts on a possible energy ceasefire continue and that further information would come later. Peskov rejected the 60-day truce idea, saying Moscow would pause attacks only for one day to allow elections.

The announcement followed Trump’s 9 October statement that Russia would supply diesel to global markets under a temporary US sanctions waiver. Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries had reduced diesel output. Trump has criticised those strikes for raising US fuel prices ahead of the 3 November midterm elections. European officials expressed support for an energy pause while noting the lack of clear terms.

Electricity shortages have forced rationing in western and northern Ukraine. Repair crews worked on damaged transmission lines. The pattern of Russian strikes on energy targets has continued for months, with Ukraine responding by hitting oil facilities that fund Moscow’s war effort. Whether the claimed ceasefire holds depends on enforcement that neither side has confirmed in detail.