October 12, 2026
Reporter: Joseph Wilson
Ukraine has accused Russia of violating an energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump after Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and other locations, deepening uncertainty over a proposed agreement that Kyiv says could become an important step toward ending the war if Moscow is compelled to respect it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces attacked energy facilities despite Trump's announcement that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt attacks against each other's energy infrastructure. Zelenskiy urged Washington to ensure that Moscow complies with the arrangement.
The dispute comes as European governments are expressing skepticism about whether the ceasefire can hold. At the same time, the European Union has approved a major new package of sanctions against Russia, targeting nearly 1,600 individuals and entities connected to the country's military-industrial complex.
Zelenskiy told a conference in Warsaw by video link that Ukraine had not attacked Russian oil refineries overnight. He argued that if Moscow expects Kyiv to stop attacking Russian energy facilities, Russia must similarly stop striking Ukraine's energy system and critical infrastructure.
“There were Russian violations of the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump,” Zelenskiy said.
He added that Kyiv was still waiting for details about the conditions of the agreement and said he had learned about the proposed ceasefire through media reports rather than directly through negotiations.
“This energy ceasefire, it can work, and it can become a major step toward ending the war if the Americans truly step in now and make sure Russians respect it,” Zelenskiy said.
Russian Strikes Raise Immediate Questions
The latest attacks have intensified concerns in Ukraine that the proposed energy truce may not have produced a genuine reduction in hostilities.
Russian strikes killed six people in two Ukrainian cities on Sunday, according to Ukrainian officials. In Kharkiv, rescue workers searched through damage following attacks that included a strike on Thermal Power Plant No. 5.
At least 12 additional people were wounded in Russian attacks on Kharkiv on Monday morning, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Ukrainian officials also reported attacks on a gas production facility and a petrol station.
The attacks have particular significance as Ukraine prepares for another difficult period of war in which damage to power and heating infrastructure could affect millions of civilians.
Ukrainian residents have expressed skepticism about promises of a ceasefire after years of Russian attacks.
One resident interviewed by Reuters described seeing a missile hit Thermal Power Plant No. 5 shortly after the reported ceasefire announcement and said the experience had reinforced fears that agreements could be broken almost immediately.
European Allies Question the Agreement
Ukraine's European allies have also expressed doubts about the proposed arrangement. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she would prefer a ceasefire that actually prevents people from being killed and questioned whether Russia would respect the energy agreement.
Kallas called on the United States to maintain pressure on Moscow and said stronger sanctions were necessary to help bring the war to an end. French President Emmanuel Macron also said he had seen no evidence during the previous 48 hours that Russia was respecting an energy ceasefire.
Germany, meanwhile, indicated that it expected the United States to remain a reliable partner despite growing disagreements between Washington and Kyiv.
The skepticism reflects a broader concern among European governments that an energy-only ceasefire could be difficult to enforce if it is not accompanied by a clearly defined mechanism for monitoring violations and imposing consequences.
EU Announces Major New Sanctions
While questions surrounding the ceasefire were growing, the European Union moved in the opposite direction by increasing economic pressure on Russia.
EU foreign ministers approved nearly 1,600 new sanctions listings aimed at Russia's military-industrial complex. Kallas said more than half of the newly targeted individuals and entities were connected to the production chain for ballistic missiles.
The latest measures represent the EU's largest single group of new listings since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The sanctions target people and companies connected to Russia's weapons production and supply networks. Some of the newly sanctioned entities are involved in supplying technology and components used in military systems, including missile and drone production.
The European action signals that, despite Washington's new emphasis on an energy ceasefire, European governments remain committed to maintaining economic pressure on Moscow.
Trump Pushes Ukraine to Stop Refinery Attacks
Trump's energy ceasefire initiative is closely connected to concerns about fuel prices in the United States.
The U.S. president has been pressing Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries, arguing that such strikes have contributed to higher diesel prices. The issue has become politically sensitive in the United States ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump has also announced a deal involving Russian diesel supplies as part of his efforts to reduce pressure on American fuel markets. The move has angered Ukraine, which sees Russia's energy revenues as an important source of financing for its war effort.
Trump's pressure on Kyiv has contributed to a deterioration in relations with Zelenskiy.
On Saturday, Trump sharply criticized the Ukrainian president and urged Ukrainians to replace him through elections. Ukrainian elections have been suspended during the country's wartime conditions since Russia's full-scale invasion.
Zelenskiy has said elections could be held if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire and emphasized that Ukrainians themselves would determine their country's leadership.
Washington Faces Pressure to Enforce the Truce
Zelenskiy's latest appeal places the United States at the centre of the dispute. Kyiv wants Washington to use its influence over Moscow to ensure that Russia stops attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Zelenskiy has indicated that Ukraine could respect an energy ceasefire, but only if Russia does the same.
A person familiar with the situation told Reuters that the United States had threatened to restrict intelligence sharing and weapons support through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, as part of efforts to pressure Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian refineries.
The development highlights the increasingly complicated relationship between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government.
For Kyiv, attacks against Russian refineries have been viewed as a way to disrupt Russia's ability to produce and export fuel and to impose costs on the Russian war effort. For Washington, however, continued strikes against Russian energy infrastructure risk contributing to global fuel-price pressures at a politically sensitive moment.
Russia Has Yet to Confirm the Arrangement
The status of the energy ceasefire remains unclear. According to Reuters, Russia had not provided a direct response to Zelenskiy's latest accusation at the time of reporting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov separately indicated that discussions about a possible energy ceasefire were continuing and that more information would be provided later.
The lack of a clearly published agreement has created additional uncertainty. Ukraine says it needs details about exactly what infrastructure would be protected, how violations would be determined and what consequences would follow if either side breaks the arrangement.
Without such mechanisms, Kyiv fears that it could be pressured into stopping attacks on Russian refineries while continuing to face Russian strikes against its own energy system.
The Wider War Continues
The dispute comes more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure during the war, while Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities inside Russia.
Energy infrastructure has therefore become a major component of the conflict. Damage to power stations, gas facilities, refineries and fuel networks can affect military logistics while also having immediate consequences for civilians.
For Ukraine, protecting electricity and heating supplies is especially important as the country enters another winter under wartime conditions.
For Russia, attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure can place pressure on the Ukrainian economy and population while attempting to undermine the country's ability to sustain the war.
A Fragile Moment for Diplomacy
The latest developments leave Trump's proposed energy ceasefire facing its first major test. Ukraine says Russia has already violated the arrangement, while European allies have questioned whether Moscow can be trusted to respect it. Russia has not yet provided a detailed public confirmation of the terms.
At the same time, the EU's decision to impose nearly 1,600 additional sanctions demonstrates that European governments are not easing pressure on Moscow while diplomatic efforts remain uncertain.
For Zelenskiy, the immediate priority is to ensure that any ceasefire applies equally to both sides. For Trump, the agreement is also connected to the urgent domestic issue of fuel prices and the political pressures surrounding the U.S. midterm elections.
Whether the proposed energy truce can survive these competing interests may determine whether it becomes a meaningful confidence-building measure or another short-lived pause in the wider Russia-Ukraine conflict.
For now, Kyiv is demanding that Washington ensure Russia follows the ceasefire it says was agreed, while Europe is increasing sanctions pressure on Moscow. The coming days are likely to show whether the reported energy truce can produce a genuine reduction in attacks or whether the latest strikes mark the beginning of another breakdown in diplomatic efforts.