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| FILE PHOTO: Firefighters work |
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Breaking Energy Ceasefire as EU Adds Sanctions
KYIV — October 12, 2026
Ukraine accused Russia of violating a proposed energy ceasefire after a strike on a thermal power plant in Kharkiv, raising doubts about a truce announced by US President Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Washington to ensure Moscow respects any agreement, while the European Union approved new sanctions targeting Russia’s military industry.
Zelenskiy said he had learned about the ceasefire arrangement through media reports and was still waiting for details of the conditions agreed between Washington and Moscow. Kyiv is concerned that the arrangement could require Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries without preventing Russia from striking Ukrainian energy facilities.
“There were Russian violations of the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump,” Zelenskiy said while addressing a conference in Warsaw by video link. He added that the United States needed to take concrete steps to make sure Russia complied with the agreement.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine had not attacked Russian refineries overnight. He argued that any suspension of Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure must be matched by an end to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power system and other critical facilities. Russia had not commented on the latest accusations at the time of publication.
The ceasefire announcement has also raised concerns among European officials. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said it remained unclear whether Russia would respect the arrangement and urged Washington to maintain pressure on Moscow through sanctions.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had seen no signs over the previous 48 hours that Russia was respecting an energy ceasefire. Germany’s Minister for Europe, Gunther Krichbaum, meanwhile, said he expected the United States to remain a reliable partner for European countries.
The EU approved nearly 1,600 additional sanctions listings targeting Russia’s military-industrial sector, according to Kallas. She said more than half of the new listings were linked to the production chain for ballistic missiles. The measures are intended to increase pressure on Moscow as European governments continue to seek an end to the war.
The diplomatic tensions come as Ukraine continues to face Russian attacks. Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes killed six people in two cities on Sunday. In Kharkiv, residents described damage caused by attacks, while Mayor Ihor Terekhov said at least 12 people were wounded in several strikes on Monday morning.
Witness Nataliia Minka said she and her child had reached a shelter shortly before a missile struck nearby. She described seeing a strike hit Thermal Power Plant No. 5 and said the scene was frightening. Residents in Kyiv also expressed doubts that an energy truce would hold, pointing to previous agreements they believed Russia had failed to respect.
Trump has pressed Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, arguing that the strikes have contributed to higher diesel prices ahead of US midterm elections next month. He has also proposed a deal to buy diesel from Russia, a move that has angered Ukraine.
Relations between Trump and Zelenskiy have deteriorated further in recent days. Trump warned the Ukrainian leader to stop the refinery attacks and called for new elections in Ukraine, where voting has been suspended since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Zelenskiy said he would call elections if Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. He stressed that Ukrainians should decide who leads their country.
The latest dispute follows an earlier energy ceasefire announcement by Trump in mid-September. Neither Russia nor Ukraine confirmed at the time that a formal agreement had been reached.
Washington has also reportedly considered using its military support and intelligence sharing as leverage to pressure Kyiv. A person familiar with the situation said the United States had threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and weapons supplies arranged through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List programme, under which European countries purchase US weapons for Ukraine.
Zelenskiy said the current ceasefire proposal could become an important step toward ending the war if the United States ensured Russian compliance. For now, however, the lack of publicly confirmed terms and continuing attacks have left the prospects for a lasting agreement uncertain.
