Zelensky says Russia still striking energy facilities despite Trump declaration of energy ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that Russia has continued to strike Ukraine’s energy facilities even after US President Donald Trump said a day earlier that the warring countries had agreed on an energy ceasefire in the 4 1/2-year-old war.Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, Zelensky said Ukraine had learned through media reports that Trump had secured an energy ceasefire deal with Russia which would involve a mutual pause in strikes on energy sites.Zelensky said he would be willing to honor such an agreement if Moscow did the same.“We support it, but I have not heard approval of this proposal from the Russian side,” Zelenskyy said.Trump’s brief social media post on Sunday claiming the purported agreement offered few details but said that the energy ceasefire took effect immediately, adding: “Do not break it!”Yet Zelensky said Ukraine had been “horribly surprised” that following Trump’s “sudden but very important post,” Russia had struck numerous energy facilities including a power plant in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, as well as a gas production facility and a civilian gas station.“It was clear that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin does not read Truth Social,” Zelensky said, referring to Trump’s social media platform.Trump previously announced a similar agreement on ceasing energy strikes that did not come to fruition.

In a social media post on Sept.14, he said both countries had agreed “not to hit” each other’s energy infrastructure, but offered no details on that proposal either.Russia has used attacks on energy facilities in order to deny Ukrainian civilians power, heat, and running water during the war, hoping to wear down public resistance to Moscow’s full-scale invasion.Ukrainian officials describe the strategy as “weaponizing winter,” and fear Russia could ramp up such attacks as cold weather approaches.Ukraine, meanwhile, has leveled strikes against Russian energy sites like oil...