Russia Strikes Ukraine Gas Facilities After Trump Claims ‘Energy Ceasefire’: NPR

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Russia was continuing missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, hours after President Trump claimed that Moscow had agreed to an “energy ceasefire” to spare energy-related infrastructure in Russia and Ukraine.

“We didn’t attack, while Russia attacked our gas stations, energy infrastructure and other facilities,” Zelenskyy said on the social media platform X. “I think it was Putin’s response to President Trump. And Russia’s message was very clear – they don’t know anything about the energy ceasefire.”

According to Zelenskyy, a jet-powered Iranian “shahed” drone from Russia struck a gas production facility around midnight, while other drones hit at least five other energy targets. He said 33 people were injured across the country.

Later on Monday, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine supports the concept of an energy ceasefire, but he calls for more pressure on Russia “so that de-escalation actually succeeds.”

“Russia must take appropriate steps. So far, there is no indication that Russia will respect the conditions written by the American president,” Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post.

On Sunday, Trump said on his social media platform that “both parties” had agreed to a partial ceasefire, adding: “Don’t break it!” He offered no details about the arrangement. But officials in Moscow appear to show little willingness to limit strikes.

Asked about the energy ceasefire on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the idea as another attempt by Zelenskyy to exploit a proposed pause in the fighting to regroup and rearm. “I don’t think so [Zelenskyy] deserves a rest,” he said.

NPR has asked the White House for comment on Russia’s overnight strikes and what they mean for Trump’s proposed ceasefire. Administration officials have yet to respond. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has often targeted civilian infrastructure, including gas and electrical systems.

Trump’s efforts to broker a deal that would protect energy infrastructure in warring states comes amid rising fuel prices in the United States, following Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran. Gas prices have emerged as a major challenge for Trump and his Republican allies ahead of next month’s midterm elections.

Last week, Trump announced a controversial plan to lower diesel prices by reviving imports from Russia. On Sunday, however, a bipartisan group of US senators released a statement calling Trump’s proposal illegal.

“Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine,” the statement said.

Zelenskyy and many US allies have supported the idea of ​​an energy truce amid Trump’s plan to import Russian diesel. Zelenskyy called Trump’s move a “weak decision,” while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday that the move is “in direct opposition” to international peace efforts.

In a statement on Monday, Trump described his effort to work with Russia to lower US energy prices as part of his “America First” strategy, prioritizing US interests over concerns about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The European Union paid Russia $250 billion dollars for energy, and the fake news media doesn’t want to follow this story. I made the right choice for the American people,” Trump wrote.

Russia’s official news agency TASS confirmed on Monday that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak agreed to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the United States in October, with monthly supplies increasing in the coming months.

“The US administration, in turn, issued a general license authorizing Russian diesel supplies on the global market until April 7, 2027,” TASS reported.

While Ukrainian officials say they have so far respected Trump’s call for an energy ceasefire, they have struck large data centers inside Russia operated by Yandex, a company often described as Russia’s version of Google. The strike led to service disruptions in parts of Russia.

Zelenskyy said on Monday that the strikes on Yandex also led to a decrease in the number of Russian propaganda bots appearing on social media. “A lot of people noticed it. There was less hatred, less division and less provocations,” he said.