Russia Hits Ukrainian Power Plants After Trump Claims Energy Ceasefire

Russian strikes hit several Ukrainian power plants on Sunday, 12 October, after US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He reported on social media that a drone struck a power plant in Kyiv, causing outages in the capital. Soon afterwards, the CHP-5 combined heat and power plant in Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, was also hit. Zelenskyy said Russian "shahed" drones had filled Ukrainian skies all day.

Trump's announcement and reactions

On Sunday morning, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine was in effect immediately and that both parties had agreed. He gave no further details. Zelenskyy said the announcement was news to him and that he was seeking more information. Russia has not confirmed it agreed.

Ukraine's main Western allies, including the UK, France, Canada and the European Commission, appeared to back the idea. British prime minister Andy Burnham called a sustained ceasefire the best route to getting energy and fuel back into world markets. French president Emmanuel Macron said Paris supported a "real energy ceasefire".

Casualties and tension with Washington

Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks killed six people in two cities on Sunday. A strike on a grocery store in Kharkiv killed three people and injured 20, including two children, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said. In a separate attack in western Ukraine, a Russian strike killed three more.

Trump's claim came two days after he announced a controversial deal to buy Russian diesel while temporarily easing US sanctions. Ukraine and its European allies criticised it, saying it would embolden Moscow. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, after a call with Zelenskyy, said the deal was in direct opposition to efforts to create peace and stability in Europe. Asked about the criticism, Trump said it was time for Ukraine to get a new president. Zelenskyy told US broadcaster ABC News that it is up to Ukrainian society to choose its leader.

The Financial Times, citing European officials, reported that the Trump administration is threatening to halt the procurement system that supplies Ukraine with weapons, to pressure Kyiv to stop deep strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Other attacks

A Ukrainian drone killed one person in Russia's Belgorod region, officials said. Russia's military said it struck a logistics centre in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region and a cargo vessel in the Black Sea.