Kremlin Leaves Energy Truce’s Scope Unclear as Strikes Continue

The Kremlin still cannot say which sites a Russia-Ukraine energy truce would cover, or confirm that Moscow agreed to one. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said talks continue but offered no details. Meanwhile, Russian strikes left at least 600,000 people without power in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The gap between the announced truce and events on the ground is stark. ^9,14

That gap widened after U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that both sides had agreed to stop attacking energy sites. He did not say how long the pause would last, what it covered, or how anyone would check that both sides followed it. Zelensky said Russian forces hit Ukraine’s power grid and oil and gas sites for a third night in a row. Russia has not confirmed an agreement; Peskov said only that talks continue. ^2,9

The 600,000 people without power show why those missing details matter. Energy sites supply homes and businesses, and Ukrainian officials say the strikes also hit facilities in Kyiv and Kharkiv. Kyiv reported three people killed, while Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 39 missiles and 128 drones overnight. The ceasefire claim also comes amid tension over Trump’s deal to buy Russian diesel, which Kyiv fears could bring Moscow money and weaken sanctions. ^12,14

That tension leaves Washington with a practical test: can it turn its announcement into terms both sides accept and follow? Zelensky has said Ukraine is waiting for details from Washington and Moscow, while the Kremlin has yet to spell out the truce’s reach. Until the terms are clear and attacks stop, the announced pause offers little protection for Ukraine’s power system. ^2,9