Russia Spares Ukrainian Energy Grid Following Trump’s Ceasefire Announcement
Russia avoids Ukrainian energy targets for the first time since Donald Trump's ceasefire deal, even as missile strikes continue to hit transport hubs.
POLICY WIRE — Kyiv, Ukraine — For the first time since U.S. President Donald Trump announced an energy ceasefire over the weekend, Russia refrained from striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Despite this shift, Russian forces continued to bombard logistics and transport hubs across the country using a combination of drones and ballistic missiles.
The Russian Defence Ministry omitted any mention of energy facilities in its daily operational summary. While a Kremlin spokesperson confirmed that diplomatic contacts remain ongoing, they declined to offer specific details regarding the ceasefire. Notably, a missile landed just over a kilometer away from a major heating plant serving much of Lviv, indicating that military activity remains dangerously close to critical infrastructure.
President Trump’s ceasefire declaration on Sunday, October 11, followed a separate agreement to lift U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel exports. This deal permits Russia to supply nearly 2 million metric tons of diesel, a move intended to stabilize fuel prices in the United States. Reports suggest that U.S. officials previously pressured Ukraine to cease strikes on Russian oil refineries by threatening to withhold intelligence and weapons shipments.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed on Tuesday that Ukraine has honored the pause on refinery strikes for two days. However, he noted that Russia continued to target energy sites on Monday, hitting six locations. Zelenskiy has expressed support for the truce in principle but accused Moscow of violating the terms, despite the Kremlin not formally acknowledging the agreement.
The human toll of the ongoing conflict remains severe, with Ukrainian officials reporting four deaths in Kharkiv and at least a dozen injuries nationwide. The Ukrainian air force also reported a lack of prior surveillance warnings before six ballistic missiles struck Kyiv late Monday. While officials are investigating the intelligence gap, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that Kyiv continues to receive data from the United States.
Speaking at a security conference in Warsaw, Sybiha highlighted the evolution of Ukraine’s diplomatic standing. He referenced a past meeting where President Trump told Zelenskiy that he did not have the cards, contrasting it with the current situation where Ukraine is choosing not to play its cards. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian air force reported that 88 of 108 Russian drones were intercepted overnight, though damage was recorded at 17 locations, including a hospital in the Khmelnytskyi region and a cargo terminal in Mykolaiv.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
