Russia hits Kyiv power plant after Trump's 'energy ceasefire'

Strike on Kyiv energy infrastructure

Russian ballistic missiles struck the Darnytska CHP-4 heat and power plant in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district late on Tuesday night, in an attack that came two days after US President Donald Trump declared an immediate energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that debris from the overnight missile attack fell across the Darnytskyi district and that a strike on a residential building killed one woman and injured multiple residents.^[1]

The attack struck the two Kyiv sites at approximately 10:40pm local time during the missile assault late on Tuesday night. Thirteen people were injured across the two sites, where the CHP-4 plant and the residential block bore the brunt of the damage caused by the overnight missiles.

Zelenskyy warns of missing early warning

In a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on 12 October, after an earlier night of strikes, Zelenskyy said Russia had responded to Trump's energy ceasefire statement with new attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.^[2] After Tuesday's strike, he said it was the second night with "no early warning from our partners".^[3]

Kyiv's energy grid has been a persistent target of Russian strikes throughout the conflict, with heat and power plants repeatedly hit during winter months, the period when damage to those facilities carries the greatest civilian cost.

Trump denies intel cut, avoids naming Russia

Speaking to reporters before Marine One on 13 October, Trump denied that the United States had halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine. "We are helping them and we are sharing intel," Trump said. "We want the war to end."^[3]

Asked directly whether Russia had broken the energy ceasefire by striking Ukrainian power infrastructure, Trump declined to characterise the attacks that way when reporters raised the issue. Trump said "Ukraine hit many sites the day before", pointing to Ukrainian strikes conducted on 12 October rather than addressing whether Russia had violated the agreement.^[3]

The ceasefire Trump announced

Trump had announced the energy ceasefire on 11 October, telling both parties during the announcement that they had agreed to it and warning them not to break it.^[4] The announcement came as part of his ongoing effort to broker a halt to hostilities through direct engagement and continuing discussions with Moscow and Kyiv.