Russia strikes Ukrainian energy sites after Trump claims 'energy ceasefire'

KYIV · Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Russia continued missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Moscow had agreed to an "energy ceasefire." Zelenskyy said a jet-powered Iranian "shahed" drone struck a gas production facility around midnight, while other drones hit at least five other energy-related targets. He said 33 people were reported wounded across the country. The presidential office confirmed an attack on a power plant in Kharkiv occurred after Trump's announcement.

"We did not attack, while Russia attacked our gas stations, energy infrastructure, and other facilities," Zelenskyy said on the social media platform X. "I think it was Putin's answer to President Trump. And the message from Russia was very clear, they don't know anything about the energy ceasefire." Trump's brief social media post on Sunday said "both parties" had agreed to the partial ceasefire, which took effect immediately, adding, "Do not break it!" He offered no details about the arrangement. Zelenskyy, speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, said Ukraine had learned of the purported deal through media reports and would honour it if Moscow did the same. "We support it, but I have not heard approval of this proposal from the Russian side," he said. He added that Ukraine was horribly surprised by the subsequent Russian strikes and suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin was not aware of Trump's social media announcement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov would not confirm if Russia had agreed to a ceasefire, saying only that "contacts are ongoing." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the idea on Monday as another attempt by Zelenskyy to exploit a proposed pause to regroup and rearm. "I do not think [Zelenskyy] deserves a respite," he said. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, welcomed the prospect of a pause in energy strikes but said she saw no sign Russia would respect it.

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Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to comply with Trump's requests to stop striking Russian refineries if Moscow halted attacks on Ukraine's energy system. "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," he said. "This energy ceasefire can work, and it can become a major step toward ending the war." He added that if Moscow does not agree, "we will respond."

Trump's efforts come amid rising U.S. fuel prices ahead of next month's midterm elections. On Friday, he struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel. The Russian news agency TASS confirmed Monday that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak agreed to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. in October, with monthly supplies increasing later. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators released a statement on Sunday calling Trump's proposal unlawful, saying Congress banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent financing Putin's war.

Ukrainian and European officials reacted with dismay to the diesel deal. Zelenskyy called it a "weak decision," while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the move is "in direct opposition" to international peace efforts. In a statement Monday, Trump described partnering with Russia to lower U.S. energy prices as part of his "America First" strategy. "The European Union paid Russia $250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn't want to get near that story. I made the right choice for the American People," Trump wrote.

While Ukrainian officials say they have respected Trump's call for an energy ceasefire, they did strike large data centres inside Russia operated by Yandex, a company often described as Russia's Google. The strike led to service outages in parts of Russia and neighbouring countries. Zelenskyy said Monday the strikes on Yandex have also led to a drop in the number of Russian propaganda bots appearing on social media. "A lot of people noticed it. There was less hate, less division, and fewer provocations," he said.

In other developments, Ukrainian air defence forces said they shot down or suppressed 89 of 121 Russian drones overnight Monday. The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 151 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and the Black Sea. Zelenskyy also addressed Trump's comment on Saturday that it was time for Ukraine to get a new president. He said Ukraine could hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. "Give us two months, 60 days off. Total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organize elections," he said.

With files from NPR, The Globe and Mail and Taipei Times