It took hours — not days — for Donald Trump's "energy ceasefire" to come apart. On Sunday evening, Russia struck Ukraine's energy infrastructure anyway, Kyiv says, hitting Kharkiv's CHP-5 thermal power plant and a power plant in the Kyiv region with a shahed drone. A separate missile strike on a grocery store outside Kharkiv killed three people and injured at least 22, including two children, according to the region's governor. Ukraine's presidential office confirmed the attacks came after Trump's announcement. Moscow had not immediately commented.
The strikes landed the same day Trump declared the ceasefire on Truth Social: "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed." Neither Russia nor Ukraine had confirmed any agreement before the post — and Kyiv says it learned of the supposed deal the same way everyone else did: online.
Trump energy ceasefire: broken within hours in Kharkiv
Around 8 p.m. Kyiv time, Russia struck the CHP-5 thermal plant, Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "Just now, there was a strike on CHP-5 in Kharkiv — on Kharkiv's energy infrastructure," he said, in remarks reported by the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes also hit energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region, causing power outages in several districts. Earlier in the day, Zelenskiy said, "the Russians struck a power plant in Kyiv with a 'shahed' drone, and many districts experienced power outages."
The presidential office confirmed the Kharkiv attack came after Trump's ceasefire post — the sequencing that matters most. Zelenskiy put it bluntly: "Later, there were strikes on energy facilities in the Kharkiv region. And all of this happened AFTER the President of the United States made his statement about an energy ceasefire."
Grocery store missile kills three near Kharkiv
In a separate attack the same evening, a Russian missile hit a grocery store on the outskirts of Kharkiv. Three people were killed and at least 22 injured, including two children, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said, according to the Kyiv Independent. The strike shows how the war's civilian toll keeps climbing even as diplomats talk about truces — shoppers and store staff had no connection to the energy targets Trump's announcement supposedly covered.
Kyiv's position: "we will accept it" — if Moscow does
Zelenskiy hasn't rejected the idea of an energy truce. "If President Trump negotiated it with (Vladimir) Putin, please tell us when the ceasefire begins. We are ready, and we will accept it," he told Axios. In his Sunday evening address he said Ukraine "welcomed" Trump's announcement as "good news for everyone" — while documenting, in the same address, the attacks that contradicted it: "Unfortunately, Ukrainian skies have been infested with Russian shaheds all day today," he said. "A power plant in Kharkiv was attacked this evening."
The catch: Kyiv never agreed to anything before Trump spoke. A senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent the government had received no information about the proposed ceasefire ahead of the post — "the ceasefire announcement was news for me," Zelenskiy told Axios, in remarks also reported by The National. Moscow offered no immediate comment on either the claim or the strikes, according to The Hindu.
A week of more than 200 strikes on Ukraine's grid
Sunday evening's attacks were no isolated incident. Zelenskiy said Russia had carried out more than 200 strikes on Ukraine's electricity generation and transmission facilities over the previous week, alongside 17 strikes on gas and oil facilities — attacks he said killed more than 150 people and wounded more than 700 in that period. Ukraine is hitting back, too: on Sunday a Ukrainian drone attack shut down a Yandex data centre in the city of Vladimir, east of Moscow — the third strike on the company's facilities in four days, The Hindu reported.
Why it matters
First, it exposes the gap between Trump's announcements and the facts on the ground. A similar energy-truce claim in mid-September went nowhere — and this one didn't survive a single evening. When a US president declares a ceasefire neither side confirmed, and strikes follow within hours, every future claim gets harder to believe.
Second, winter is coming, and Russia knows it. Ukrainian officials call Moscow's grid campaign "weaponising winter" — an effort to deny civilians power, heat and running water to wear down resistance. Each strike on a plant like CHP-5 is part of that strategy.
Third, the episode deepens the Trump-Zelenskiy rift. Trump said Saturday Ukraine needs a new president, Zelenskiy offered elections in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire, and Washington keeps pressing Kyiv to stop hitting Russian refineries — while Moscow hits Ukrainian plants anyway. (Read our report on Trump's original ceasefire claim.)
What happens next
The immediate question is whether Moscow says anything at all. Silence would confirm what Kyiv already believes: the "energy ceasefire" existed only in a Truth Social post. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has backed Zelenskiy's call for a real energy ceasefire — but backing isn't enforcement. And with Ukrainian drones still striking Russian refineries and Russian drones still hitting Ukrainian plants, including Saturday's missile attack on Kyiv's Obolon district, the aerial war is nowhere near pausing.
Key Takeaways
- Russia struck Ukraine's energy infrastructure hours after Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" on Sunday, Kyiv says.
- Kharkiv's CHP-5 thermal power plant was hit around 8 p.m.; a shahed drone also struck a power plant in the Kyiv region, cutting power to several districts.
- A separate missile strike on a grocery store outside Kharkiv killed three and injured at least 22, including two children, the regional governor said.
- Ukraine's presidential office confirmed the Kharkiv attack came after Trump's announcement; Moscow has not commented.
- Zelenskiy said Ukraine would accept an energy ceasefire if Russia does — but Kyiv received no information about the deal before Trump's post.
- Zelenskiy says Russia carried out more than 200 strikes on Ukraine's power grid in the past week, killing over 150 people.
Frequently asked questions
Did Trump really announce an energy ceasefire?
Yes. On Sunday, October 11, 2026, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed." He gave no details on duration or enforcement — and neither Moscow nor Kyiv had confirmed any agreement before the post.
What did Russia strike after the announcement?
According to Kyiv, Russia hit Kharkiv's CHP-5 thermal power plant around 8 p.m. on Sunday, struck a power plant in the Kyiv region with a shahed drone — causing outages in several districts — and attacked more energy facilities across the Kharkiv region. Ukraine's presidential office confirmed the Kharkiv strike came after Trump's post.
How many people died in the Kharkiv grocery store attack?
Three people were killed and at least 22 injured, including two children, when a Russian missile hit a grocery store on the outskirts of Kharkiv on Sunday evening, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said, according to the Kyiv Independent. The attack was separate from the strikes on energy infrastructure.
Did Russia confirm the energy ceasefire?
No. Moscow did not immediately comment on Trump's announcement or on the reported strikes, according to The Hindu. A senior Ukrainian official also told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv had received no information about the proposed ceasefire before Trump's post — the announcement was news to Ukraine, too.
What is Ukraine's position on the ceasefire?
Zelenskiy said Ukraine "welcomed" the announcement and would comply if Russia does: "If President Trump negotiated it with (Vladimir) Putin, please tell us when the ceasefire begins. We are ready, and we will accept it." He added Ukraine is "ready to refrain from striking Russian energy infrastructure — and we count on the same readiness from Russia."
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- The Hindu — "Trump says Russia, Ukraine agree to 'energy ceasefire' but Kyiv says attacks continue" (Oct 11, 2026): thehindu.com
- Kyiv Independent — "Russia struck Kharkiv's power plant shortly after Trump announced 'energy ceasefire'" (Oct 11, 2026): kyivindependent.com
- Times Now — "Trump Announces Ceasefire, Putin Strikes Ukraine's Energy Lifeline Hours Later" (Oct 11, 2026): timesnownews.com
- The National — "Trump says Russia and Ukraine agree to 'energy ceasefire'" (Oct 11, 2026): thenationalnews.com
- Nikkei Asia (AP) — "Russia and Ukraine agree to 'energy ceasefire,' Trump claims" (Oct 12, 2026): asia.nikkei.com