President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces were still attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" he said both sides had agreed to. In his nightly video address, Zelensky said a combined heating and power plant in Kharkiv had just been struck and that Russian drones were still in the sky, Reuters reported. Kyiv says it supports the ceasefire but is still waiting for details from Washington — and Moscow has not reacted to Trump's announcement.
What did Zelensky say on Sunday night?
Zelensky said Russian forces were maintaining their attacks on Ukrainian energy targets regardless of the announcement, Reuters reported. He said a strike had just hit the joint power and heating plant in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, and pointed to ongoing drone activity and aerial-bomb strikes on energy infrastructure. He put the past week's toll on the energy system at more than 200 strikes on generating capacity and 17 on oil and gas installations — figures he gave in the address, reported by Reuters, with no independent verification available at publication time.
Earlier on Sunday, Zelensky had posted that Ukraine supports the ceasefire, that it matters that Russia support it too, and that Kyiv is awaiting details from the American side. He said he had discussed the announcement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. He repeated Kyiv's standing position: Ukraine is ready to halt strikes on Russian energy installations if Russia halts attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
PA Media reported that Zelensky also said Russia had struck a power plant in Kyiv and energy facilities in Kharkiv after Trump's post — his account, which Russian officials had not publicly answered at publication time.
How did Britain respond?
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain strongly supports Trump's call for a sustained energy ceasefire starting now, PA Media reported. Burnham said Russia had intensified its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure over the weekend and that Ukraine is ready if Russia stops its attacks. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told broadcasters it was Britain's responsibility to help bring Washington and Kyiv back together after the rift over the US–Russia diesel deal, and played down any suggestion that US support for Ukraine was ending.
Has Russia confirmed the ceasefire?
No. Reuters reported there had been no reaction in Russia to Trump's statement at the time of its report, and Zelensky's conditional support — agreement if Russia agrees — remains the only response from either belligerent. Trump's post gave no details beyond saying the ceasefire was effective immediately and that both parties had agreed. A similar Trump announcement last month was never confirmed by either side and was followed within a day by further strikes on energy targets in both countries.
The claim that both sides agreed to an energy ceasefire rests solely on President Trump's post; neither Moscow nor Kyiv had confirmed an agreement at publication time. Reports of continued strikes on energy infrastructure after the announcement are President Zelensky's account, as reported by Reuters and PA Media; the Kharkiv plant strike had no independent confirmation at publication time. This article was published on a Sunday; markets were closed, so no market snapshot box is carried.
