Russian overnight strikes on energy infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions left hundreds of thousands of households without power on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as a US-brokered ceasefire limited to the Kherson region was set to expire without extension.
Zelenskyy said energy infrastructure in the Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr and Khmelnytskyi regions was hit. "Substations, transformers, and power lines that supply electricity to our people's homes were targeted," he wrote on social media. "As of now, hundreds of thousands of families remain without power." He described the intensity of the strikes as extremely high and accused Russia of trying to exploit Ukraine's shortage of ballistic missile interceptors. Zelenskyy repeated calls for faster deliveries of air defence missiles from the US and Europe.
The strikes came as a ceasefire limited to the Kherson region, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, was due to expire on Sunday evening. Neither side announced an extension. The truce, which began on Tuesday, allowed for the evacuation of civilians from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said evacuees included a 1-year-old baby and a 94-year-old resident, and that pets such as dogs, cats, a parrot and a raccoon were brought out. Lubinets expressed hope the arrangement could be replicated elsewhere.
Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday evening, saying they discussed preparations for a three-way summit between Ukraine, Russia and the United States, to be held in the first half of November. He said they also agreed to work on a Black Sea grain corridor. "At every level, Russia must be sent signals that there is no alternative to peace and that support for Ukraine will not diminish," Zelenskyy said.
Russian authorities reported a massive Ukrainian drone strike overnight on an industrial facility in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Governor Gleb Nikitin said more than 100 drones were destroyed and the facility sustained significant damage, with no casualties reported. Ukrainian media said the target was the Kstovo oil refinery, one of Russia's largest; the reports could not be independently verified. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Kyiv had agreed to pause strikes on Russian oil refineries until after the US midterm elections under pressure from President Donald Trump. Ukraine resumed such strikes after a pause, according to Russia.
At the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was "not a concession" but "normal." He added that foreign ministers must be prepared to engage even with adversaries. The G20 ministers skipped the traditional family photo due to objections from several European countries, Australia and Canada to appearing alongside Lavrov.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Russia wanted the opening rounds of peace negotiations to involve only Moscow, Kyiv and Washington, noting existing contacts with the US.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The failure to extend the Kherson ceasefire leaves civilians in Oleshky without a humanitarian corridor, with an estimated 2,000 still trapped.
- Russia's renewed targeting of energy infrastructure threatens a harsh winter for millions of Ukrainians, testing Western resolve to supply air defences.
- Preparations for a three-way summit signal a potential shift in diplomatic dynamics, but Russian conditions excluding Europe from early talks could create tensions with NATO allies.
Background
The Kherson ceasefire, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, began on 27 October and was the longest truce since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. It allowed civilians to evacuate from Russian-occupied Oleshky, which had faced a severe humanitarian crisis. Previous rounds of Ukraine-Russia talks brokered by Turkey failed to produce a lasting peace agreement. The US has pressed Ukraine to pause strikes on Russian oil refineries amid concerns over rising fuel prices.
Key Perspectives
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Accused Russia of seeking to exploit Ukraine's shortage of interceptors and called for faster delivery of missiles and air defence systems, saying "Russia is destroying infrastructure and killing our people right now."
Yuri Ushakov: Said it was "logical" for at least the first rounds of peace talks to be trilateral (Moscow, Kyiv, Washington), and that Russia has "working contacts with the Americans."
Johann Wadephul: Called speaking to Lavrov "normal" and said foreign ministers must engage even with adversaries, but noted the G20 skipped the family photo because Russia "does not really show an interest to share our values."
Dmytro Lubinets: Said the Oleshky evacuation required "an enormous amount of work" and expressed hope the arrangement could be replicated elsewhere.
What to Watch
- Whether the tripartite summit materialises in the first half of November, and whether Europe is included in subsequent rounds.
- The duration and severity of power outages in Ukraine as winter approaches.
- Whether Ukraine resumes long-range strikes on Russian refineries after the US midterm elections on 3 November.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 2 sources: 11 supported.
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- SupportedRussian strikes left hundreds of thousands of households in Ukraine without power as the Kherson ceasefire was set to expire.DW English: “A ceasefire limited to the Kherson region in eastern Ukraine that was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump was set to expire on Sunday evening, after neither Russia nor Ukraine announced an extension. ... Hundreds of thousands of households lost electricity after overnight Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions”
- SupportedZelenskyy said energy infrastructure in four regions was hit and hundreds of thousands of families remained without power.DW English: “In a post on X, the Ukrainian president said energy infrastructure in four regions — Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyi — had been struck. "Substations, transformers, and power lines that supply electricity to our people's homes were targeted. Repair crews are working everywhere. As of now, hundreds of thousands of families remain without power,"”
- SupportedZelenskyy’s quoted words about substations, transformers and power lines being targeted match the source.DW English: “"Substations, transformers, and power lines that supply electricity to our people's homes were targeted. Repair crews are working everywhere. As of now, hundreds of thousands of families remain without power,"”
- SupportedThe Kherson-region ceasefire began Tuesday, was due to expire Sunday evening, and neither side announced an extension.DW English: “A ceasefire limited to the Kherson region in eastern Ukraine that was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump was set to expire on Sunday evening, after neither Russia nor Ukraine announced an extension. ... The rare truce, which began on Tuesday”
- SupportedThe truce allowed civilians to be evacuated from Oleshky, including a one-year-old and a 94-year-old; evacuees brought pets including a parrot and a raccoon.DW English: “He said evacuees included a 1-year-old baby and a 94-year-old resident of Oleshky. The evacuees brought pets, including dogs, cats, a parrot and a raccoon, according to Lubinets.”
- SupportedZelenskyy met Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday evening and said a Ukraine-Russia-US summit was planned for the first half of November.DW English: “Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday evening for talks that the Ukrainian president said included preparations for a three-way summit between Ukraine, Russia and the United States. He said the meeting would be held in the first half of November.”
- SupportedZelenskyy said he and Erdogan agreed to work on a Black Sea grain corridor.DW English: “"This includes food security, and today President Erdogan and I agreed to work on a Black Sea grain corridor to ensure that the corridor exists and operates effectively," the Ukrainian leader told a press conference.”
- Partly supportedThe governor reported more than 100 drones destroyed and significant damage at an industrial facility, with no casualties reported.Politico Europe: ““A massive drone attack occurred overnight and this morning in the Nizhny Novgorod region: more than a hundred drones were destroyed,” Gleb Nikitin, the region’s governor, wrote on Telegram on Sunday. “According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties,” he said, adding that an industrial facility in the Kstovsky district sustained “significant damage.””
- SupportedUkrainian media identified the damaged facility as the Kstovo refinery, described as one of Russia’s largest, and the reports were not independently verified.DW English: “Ukrainian media reported that the target was the Kstovo oil refinery, describing it as one of Russia's largest. The reports could not be independently verified.”
- SupportedThe Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Kyiv agreed, under Trump’s pressure, to pause strikes on Russian oil refineries until after the US midterm elections.Politico Europe: “The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Kyiv agreed to pause strikes on Russian oil refineries until after the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3 under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.”
- SupportedWadephul said speaking to Lavrov was “not a concession” but “normal.”DW English: “"Speaking to the Russian Foreign Minister is not a concession we're making to Russia, but it is normal to speak," he said”
- SupportedG20 foreign ministers skipped the family photo amid objections from several European countries, Australia and Canada to appearing alongside Lavrov.DW English: “The G20 foreign ministers skipped their traditional family photo at a meeting in Atlanta on Friday, amid objections from several European countries , Australia and Canada to appearing alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.”