The eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv awoke on Monday to the sound of emergency sirens, only to discover that a Russian drone had struck a residential block and a nearby gas station. The attack came just hours after former President Donald Trump announced that Washington and Moscow had agreed on an energy ceasefire. President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the claim as premature, noting that six energy sites were hit across the country and that at least 33 people were injured.
Russian strikes break the alleged energy ceasefire
Within the first twelve hours of the announced truce, Russian forces targeted a gas station in Izyum, plunging the city into a blackout, and damaged power lines in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukrinform reported that the attacks also hit railway infrastructure in western Ukraine, further complicating logistics. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proclaimed that Ukraine did not merit the respite promised by a ceasefire, while Zelensky accused President Putin of using the ceasefire claim as a propaganda tool.
In addition to civilian damage, the strikes inflicted material loss on Ukraine’s energy network. Zelensky told Fox News that Russia’s focus on “gas stations, energy infrastructure, and other facilities” was a direct response to Trump’s announcement. He warned that the attacks demonstrated Russia’s unwillingness to honor any energy ceasefire and he reiterated a request for a 60-day pause to safeguard the upcoming presidential election.
Ukrenergo imposes hourly power cuts across four regions
National grid operator Ukrenergo confirmed that, starting at 15:00 on Monday, scheduled power cuts would be reinstated in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The outages are designed to prevent overload of damaged transformers and to give repair crews a window to work safely. Households will experience hourly blackouts affecting only a single consumer group at a time, while industrial users face stricter consumption caps.
Citizens have been urged to conserve electricity and to avoid turning on multiple high-wattage appliances simultaneously when power returns. Ukrenergo did not disclose the exact neighborhoods affected, directing residents to consult regional distribution companies’ websites for specific schedules. Emergency teams continue to repair the grid wherever security permits, but the pace is hampered by ongoing shelling.
Global response and the escalating fight over energy
International actors have voiced mixed reactions. The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham praised Trump’s call for a sustained energy ceasefire, while the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas cautioned that any truce must be respected by both sides before it can be deemed credible. Estonia’s foreign minister labelled the ceasefire “not working,” echoing concerns across the bloc.
Data compiled by BBC Verify shows a sharp rise in attacks on energy assets: 273 strikes on Russian-controlled oil and gas facilities have been recorded in 2026, more than double the 124 documented in the same period of 2025. Meanwhile, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project notes a 2.4-fold increase in Russian assaults on Ukraine’s power network this year. NATO’s top commander, General Alexus Grynkewich warned that the campaign seeks to wear down civilian morale ahead of winter, but expressed confidence that Ukrainians will emerge “with more resolve and more fight.” The United States has also announced a temporary import of Russian diesel, a move Zelensky called a “gift” to President Vladimir Putin.
