Kyiv says Russia breached truce and hit thermal power plant

Kyiv said on October 12, 2026 that Russian forces violated a limited truce announced the previous day by U.S. President Donald Trump and carried out fresh strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, severely damaging a thermal power plant.

Ukraine denounces breach as talks of a narrow pause unravel

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrij Sibikha accused the Kremlin of a clear violation of the narrowly defined ceasefire that, according to Trump’s announcement on Sunday afternoon (October 11), was supposed to take immediate effect for both belligerents. Sibikha said the Russian military continued its strikes and had heavily damaged a thermal power station.

Trump had surprised many by declaring that attacks on energy facilities would stop immediately; he posted on his platform Truth Social: "Both sides agreed to this. Please respect it!" Similar public pledges from Trump were issued in mid-September, yet attacks on energy targets continued then as well.

There was no immediate public reaction from Moscow after the latest announcement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was initially surprised by Trump’s statement but later welcomed a truce limited to the energy sector, provided Russia agreed and a corresponding deal with the United States was reached.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the eastern city of Kharkiv was struck by Russian drones and guided bombs; six people were reported wounded and a thermal power plant was hit. Those details could not be independently verified. Sibikha later said he had informed Germany’s foreign minister Johan Vadeful about the attack and wrote on X: "Russia violated the truce in the energy sector immediately after it came into force."

Zelensky blamed external pressure on his government — including calls for his removal — for showing weakness in confronting Moscow. He said this week alone Russia had attacked 200 energy facilities in Ukraine, killed 153 civilians and wounded about 700 people, and added: "Russia does not feel pressure and simply wants to continue."

Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers preparing a new package of sanctions plan measures targeting almost 1,600 actors linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex and 77 entities involved in organizing parliamentary votes in occupied Ukrainian territories. Proposed restrictions would include travel bans, asset freezes and prohibitions on providing financial or other economic resources.

Domestically in Washington, Trump’s suggestion to resume diesel imports from Russia and to ask Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian refineries drew criticism from both Democratic and Republican senators. In a joint protest letter signed by seven senators, they invoked a 2022 law that banned Russian energy imports and warned: "The President's decision to allow Russian imports is directly contrary to that law."

Photo: Moskva, arhivska fotografija)