Russia says it has begun large-scale strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of winter
Russia has begun large-scale attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of winter, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin on October 16, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
"The Russian Armed Forces have begun carrying out massive strikes against Ukraine's energy facilities. A list of these facilities and the necessary means to strike them have been determined," Gerasimov said.
His statement came five days after US President Donald Trump claimed that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to an "energy ceasefire" to halt attacks on each other's energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Trump's announcement was news to him, adding that Kyiv was prepared to stop such attacks if Moscow genuinely did the same.
The Financial Times, citing European officials familiar with the matter, also reported that the Trump administration had pressured Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, threatening to suspend weapons purchases and intelligence sharing.
On October 17, the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia was left without electricity following a Russian overnight attack, with critical infrastructure operating on backup power, according to Mayor Serhiy Morhunov.