WorldPosted at: Oct 12 2026 7:28PM


Zelenskyy vows retaliation if Russia continues energy strikes, ceasefire row deepens with Trump

Kyiv, Oct 12 (UNI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday threatened retaliation against Russia if it continues attacking Ukraine’s power infrastructure, as fresh strikes triggered electricity outages and deepened a dispute with US President Donald Trump over an energy ceasefire that Kyiv says it never agreed to.
“If Russia does not agree to an energy ceasefire this winter, we will respond,” Zelensky told European security officials at the Warsaw Security Forum, hours after Russian attacks damaged energy facilities and plunged parts of Kyiv into darkness.
Zelenskyy said he was surprised by Trump’s announcement on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an “energy ceasefire”, adding that Kyiv was not consulted on any such arrangement.
Russia struck a power station in Kharkiv shortly after the announcement, Zelenskyy said, while a Russian attack on a gas production facility in the region damaged critical equipment and triggered a fire, according to Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz.
Electricity outages were also reported in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, with grid operator Ukrenergo introducing power restrictions to prevent damage to equipment already weakened by previous Russian strikes.
The attacks have heightened concerns over Ukraine’s ability to withstand the approaching winter, with Moscow intensifying strikes on energy infrastructure, causing blackouts and water shortages in several areas.
Ukraine has said it is prepared to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow reciprocates by suspending strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy said an energy truce could become a significant step towards ending the war, but stressed that it must be observed by both sides.
Asked about Trump’s announcement, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said contacts were continuing and Moscow would provide details when there is something to announce.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, said Ukraine did not deserve the “respite” a ceasefire would provide, arguing that a pause would allow European countries to supply Kyiv with more weapons.
The European union expressed scepticism over the proposed arrangement, with its foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas saying the bloc would welcome an energy ceasefire only if it was implemented by both sides.
“We welcome the energy ceasefire when it holds,” Kallas said at a meeting of European foreign ministers. “We haven’t yet seen that also Russia will stick to it.”
Kallas also argued that a proposal limited to oil refineries would favour Moscow, which has a substantially larger refining capacity than Ukraine.
The dispute has added to tensions between Washington and Kyiv after Trump announced on Friday that he was lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports, saying the move would help reduce fuel prices ahead of next month’s US midterm elections.
Zelensky ycriticised the decision, warning that additional revenue would strengthen Russia’s ability to finance its war. Trump, in turn, accused Ukraine of driving up fuel prices through attacks on Russian refineries and said Kyiv needed a “new leader”.
Zelenskyy said he would consider holding presidential elections if Russia agreed to a comprehensive 60-day ceasefire to provide the necessary security conditions.
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Tags: #Zelenskyy vows retaliation if Russia continues energy strikes# ceasefire row deepens with Trump
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