Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday criticised Russia for continuing aerial attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, despite US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a ceasefire.
Russian forces targeted Ukraine’s power grid, oil and gas facilities for the third consecutive night, Zelenskyy said, after Trump claimed that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to an “energy ceasefire.”
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, agreed to suspend Ukraine’s months-long campaign against Russian oil refineries, which had caused fuel shortages in Russia. Ukraine’s last reported strike on an oil refinery took place last Friday.
The Kremlin has yet to confirm its participation in the proposed truce, saying only that discussions on the matter were continuing.
Trump’s efforts to halt the fighting have so far yielded no progress.
Ukraine claims battlefield gains
Ukrainian officials said their forces were pushing back Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow has been trying to expand its control for years.
Brig Gen Andrii Biletskyi, commander of Ukraine’s Third Army Corps, said on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had recaptured 277 square kilometres since launching an operation in the summer.
The claim could not be independently verified, and Russian officials did not comment.
Kyiv is increasingly concerned about a possible decline in US support after Trump reached a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel, despite international efforts to penalise Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials say the deal could help Russia sustain its military campaign, while European leaders remain concerned about Moscow’s broader ambitions and alleged acts of sabotage across the continent.
Zelenskyy was scheduled to visit London on Wednesday for talks with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham as Ukraine and its European partners seek to strengthen the country’s defences. He could also travel to Brussels for a European Union summit later in the week.
In a social media post, Zelenskyy urged the United States and other countries to respond firmly to Russia’s continued aerial attacks.
He said Moscow had missed an opportunity to ease tensions and had instead chosen to continue what he described as a destructive war.
Russian strikes disrupt Kyiv’s power supply
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces attacked energy facilities in Kyiv, the surrounding region and northeastern Kharkiv overnight, hitting six power plants.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said Russian forces struck all three of Kyiv’s combined heat and power plants overnight into Wednesday.
At least 600,000 people were left without electricity, Zelenskyy said.
Russia launched 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 drones at energy and critical infrastructure in Kyiv, the surrounding region and Kharkiv, according to the Ukrainian president.
Kyiv concerned over declining US support
Ukrainian officials fear that US assistance, including military intelligence and access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications system, could be at risk.
Ukraine relies on Starlink to defend against aerial attacks and operate long-range drones targeting military facilities inside Russia.
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelenskyy, said SpaceX had imposed speed restrictions on Ukrainian Starlink terminals mounted on drones, complicating logistics, the operation of unmanned systems and medium-range strikes.
He suggested the move might be linked to the current political situation. SpaceX did not immediately comment.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had not received the usual advance warning from its partners before Russian missile attacks struck Kyiv. His remarks fuelled concerns that US intelligence assistance might have changed.
Five people were killed and 36 injured in Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital from Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning, Kyiv police said.
Trump has maintained that Washington has not stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv. A member of Ukraine’s parliamentary Defence Committee also told The Associated Press that intelligence-sharing arrangements with international partners remained in place.
Ukraine targets Russian data centre
Ukraine continued its retaliatory operations against targets inside Russia.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 902 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Sea of Azov overnight.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 493 drones had headed towards the Moscow region, with 180 intercepted as they approached the capital. He reported no damage or casualties in the Moscow region.
In Russia’s Saratov region, one person was killed and several residential buildings were damaged, Governor Roman Busargin said.
Russian state-backed lender Sberbank confirmed that its data centre in Saratov had been attacked. The facility had previously been planned as what would become Europe’s largest data centre.
Sberbank’s first deputy chairman, Alexander Vedyakhin, said the bank’s systems continued to operate normally, according to the state news agency Tass.
Britain pledges continued support
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged continued support for Ukraine ahead of Zelenskyy’s visit, saying London would stand by the country for as long as necessary.
European allies are seeking to reinforce Kyiv’s defences as concerns grow over the direction of US policy towards Russia.
Rym Momtaz of Carnegie Europe wrote that Trump’s renewed shift towards Moscow posed risks for Ukraine ahead of a difficult winter, but said European partners were responding by taking action rather than panicking.
Britain, like the European Union, is also considering further sanctions against Russia.