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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine received no advance warning from its partners before a large-scale Russian attack targeting energy and critical infrastructure in Kyiv, the surrounding region and Kharkiv.
Zelenskyy called the lack of warning “absolutely unjust,” saying Ukrainian forces detected ballistic missiles only when they were already close to Kyiv.
“This is absolutely unjust: when they are destroying our energy infrastructure, and Ukraine is not even receiving early warnings about ballistic missile launches,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“And it is important that the United States really sees what is happening and who is responsible for this war continuing.”
Zelenskyy said Russia used 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 strike drones and loitering munitions overnight against Ukraine’s energy sector and critical infrastructure.
He said at least 600,000 people were without electricity and warned that outages could become more widespread.
According to Zelenskyy, 26 elements of Ukraine’s electric power complex and four oil and gas facilities sustained significant damage.
He also said there were casualties and wounded, without providing figures.
Zelenskyy said the Darnytsia Combined Heat and Power Plant, or CHPP-4, was struck and a residential building in Kyiv was damaged, while emergency crews worked to extinguish a fire.
He accused Russia of deliberately targeting the energy sector despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for an energy ceasefire.
“The strike was absolutely deliberate and indicative in its scale,” Zelenskyy said, describing it as “demonstrative disrespect from Russia toward America.”
He also accused Moscow of preparing further ballistic missile launches.
“The facts show that the Russians do not consider themselves bound by what the president of the United States said,” Zelenskyy said. “Ukraine supported an energy ceasefire. Russia is targeting yet another power plant and the lives of our people.”
Zelenskyy called on the U.S. and other countries to respond strongly to the attack and urged Trump to impose further sanctions on Russia.
He cited legislation associated with Sen. Lindsey Graham that he said allows and regulates stronger sanctions.
Zelenskyy also called for additional missile defense packages for Ukraine’s Patriot systems.
“We ask America and EVERYONE in the world who does not close their eyes to reality to respond, and to respond harshly,” he wrote.
“Russia has squandered the opportunity for de-escalation and has clearly chosen to continue its mad war of destruction.”
He said no country should be left alone against Russia and argued that peace could be achieved only through “strength, justice, and pressure on the aggressor.”
Trump said the U.S. continued to share intelligence with Ukraine and was working with both Kyiv and Moscow to end the war.
“We are helping them, and we are sharing intel,” Trump told reporters. “We want the war to end, so we’re working with them and Russia on getting the war to end.”
The Financial Times reported over the weekend, citing people familiar with the matter, that U.S. envoys had raised the possibility of ending intelligence sharing with Kyiv during talks Friday if Ukraine did not comply with Washington’s warning to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Trump said Sunday on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate ceasefire on attacks against each other’s energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy had said Kyiv was prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, stressing that any de-escalation must be reciprocal and backed by guarantees.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, said Russia was continuing contacts with Washington over the potential energy ceasefire mentioned by Trump.
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