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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says Putin struck power plant hours after Trump ‘ceasefire’ announcement

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Cite

Sarkar, A. R. (2026, October 12). Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says Putin struck power plant hours after Trump ‘ceasefire’ announcement. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-live-trump-putin-zelensky-energy-ceasefire-b3064958.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

The Independent · collected 2026-10-12 · by Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Quick Summary

Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday that despite Donald Trump’s announcement of a bilateral ceasefire regarding energy strikes, Russia continued its attacks on Ukrainian power plants, including one in Kharkiv. The Financial Times reported that the U.S. is considering halting weapons supplies to Ukraine through PURL if Kyiv does not halt its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. Zelensky expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s deal to lift sanctions for Russian diesel imports, arguing it would only increase Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Written by AI on 2026-10-12, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On October 11, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine via Truth Social without consulting either side, claiming both had agreed to halt long-range attacks on energy infrastructure. Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said the deal was "news to him," but he would accept it if Russia did as well. However, by October 14, Ukrainian officials reported continued Russian strikes on energy targets and stated that Trump’s efforts had made no progress in stopping the fighting. Meanwhile, Europe criticized Trump's unilateral actions for potentially dividing Western alliances against Russia. Despite this announcement, attacks on both sides persisted, indicating a lack of compliance with the ceasefire terms. Additionally, Ukraine claimed it was pushing back Russian forces on the battlefield, liberating territory and maintaining its defense strategy despite international pressure to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries. The situation highlights growing tensions between Trump's approach to diplomacy and the strategic concerns of Europe and Ukraine regarding long-term peace in the region.

Written for “Trump Announces Energy Ceasefire” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 34 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Trump Announces Energy Ceasefire
Politics · 35 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 12% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Guardian
Hedges 1 of 55 claims Outlet record 66/100
Dawn
Hedges 0 of 15 claims Outlet record 72/100
Daily Mail
Hedges 5 of 54 claims Outlet record 68/100
BBC News
Hedges 2 of 3 claims Outlet record 68/100
The Straits Times
Hedges 2 of 29 claims Outlet record 66/100
CBS News
Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 66/100
BBC News
Hedges 0 of 22 claims Outlet record 68/100
The Independent
Hedges 6 of 52 claims Outlet record 59/100
“The articles describe different attacks occurring at distinct times and locations with different outcomes, though both are part of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.”
The Straits Times
Hedges 0 of 13 claims Outlet record 66/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
50
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
12%
6 of 50 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
59/100
The Independent's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
35
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-12 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Independent · 3430 article(s) · 7 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 7 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
29 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 He added: "I left a regime of exception so that I could be the leader my people deserve."
🔮 Log in Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing calls to step aside after exit polls predicted an election deadlock between his and a rival bloc.
🔮 It was not immediately clear on Wednesday whether he would now serve a prison sentence or face fresh legal proceedings.
🔮 Russia has struck a number of energy facilities in Ukraine's Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Wednesday, even as president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Donald Trump to make sure Vladimir Putin honours his so-called energy "ceasefire".
🔮 Police have also said the man was in New Zealand between November 2018 and May 2019 on a six-month student visa to complete a portion of his flight training for a UK-based company.
🔮 The Ukrainian president said his country would support a truce over strikes on vital infrastructure after being caught off guard by president Trump’s shock announcement that a deal had already been agreed.
🔮 Analysts have warned that companies could face higher hiring and compliance costs for their reliance on US talent.
🔮 But president Donald Trump has rejected Tehran's latest offer, and warned that military operations could intensify after the midterms.
🔮 US prosecutors argued that he was motivated by unwillingness to be deployed to Afghanistan and the shooting was in retaliation for America’s wars in the Muslim world.
🔮 The defence department would hold a press conference later on Tuesday to provide further details about the incident, she added.
Also by Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 29 articles by Alisha Rahaman Sarkar →

Topics

Kyiv Russia Russian Ukraine Ukrainian

Subjects

Russia GPE · 9× Trump PERSON · 9× Zelensky PERSON · 9× Russian NORP · 8× Ukraine GPE · 8× Volodymyr Zelensky PERSON · 5× Ukrainian NORP · 4× Putin PERSON · 3× Donald Trump PERSON · 2× Kyiv GPE · 2×

Narrative

The diesel deal with Russia has proven controversial even within Trump’s own base as the president looks to bring down energy prices in the US ahead of the November midterm elections. Trump struck deal with Putin because he is under pressure, says Streeting Britain will try to build bridges between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky after an explosive row erupted over the US President’s announcement of a deal to buy Russian diesel, defence secretary Wes Streeting has said.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-12
🔮 The Ukrainian president said his country would support a truce over strikes on vital infrastructure after being caught off guard by president Trump’s shock announcement that a deal had already been agreed.

Claims (50 extracted, 6 hedged)

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Russia had continued strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of a bilateral ‘energy ceasefire’ between the warring nations. asserted
Russia → say → nations
The Ukrainian president said his country would support a truce over strikes on vital infrastructure after being caught off guard by president Trump’s shock announcement that a deal had already been agreed. asserted
deal → say → announcement
But Zelensky on Sunday evening claimed that Ukraine had come under continued Russian fire all day. asserted
Ukraine → claim → fire
He wrote on social media: “Unfortunately, Ukrainian skies have been infested with Russian “shaheds” all day today. asserted
skies → write → shaheds
A power plant in Kharkiv was attacked this evening.” asserted
plant → attack → Kharkiv
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that the US is threatening to stop the procurement system, PURL, that provides Ukraine with weapons in order to press Kyiv to stop its deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. asserted
that → report → infrastructure
Kyiv had publicly backed a truce on striking energy infrastructure before Trump announced on Friday plans to lift sanctions on Moscow to supply diesel to the US and global markets - much to Zelensky’s chagrin. asserted
Trump → back → chagrin
The diesel deal with Russia has proven controversial even within Trump’s own base as the president looks to bring down energy prices in the US ahead of the November midterm elections. Trump struck deal with Putin because he is under pressure, says Streeting Britain will try to build bridges between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky after an explosive row erupted over the US President’s announcement of a deal to buy Russian diesel, defence secretary Wes Streeting has said. asserted
Streeting → prove → diesel
President Trump called for new leadership in Ukraine on Saturday, after President Zelensky lashed out at the plan which he said would only bolster Russia’s attacks on his country. asserted
he → call → country
Andy Burnham is due to meet Zelensky in person in the coming days, No 10 said on Saturday, after the PM spoke to the Ukrainian leader and "reiterated his complete solidarity" with Ukraine. asserted
PM → meet → Ukraine
Russian airstrikes kill 23 in Zaporizhzhia, Zelensky says At least 23 people, including four children, were killed in Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia on Saturday, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. asserted
Zelensky → kill → Saturday
In a post on X, he claimed that over the last week Russia has used around 1,450 aerial bombs, 75 missiles of various types, and more than 1,640 attack drones. asserted
Russia → claim → types
“The real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone,” he wrote. asserted
he → write → Europe
“It is possible to stop strikes on energy infrastructure as early as today, but Putin does not want to do so. asserted
Putin → stop → today
“Ukraine will be ready to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia stops striking our energy infrastructure. asserted
Russia → stop → infrastructure
Any de-escalation steps must be reciprocal and backed by real guarantees.” asserted
steps → back → guarantees
Trump tears into Zelensky: ‘Time for Ukraine to get a new president’ asserted
Ukraine → tear → president
President Donald Trump said Saturday that “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” railing at Volodymyr Zelensky, and claiming he has not done enough to end his country’s war that has raged since Russia invaded four years ago. asserted
Russia → say → war
Speaking to reporters at the White House on his way to a rally in Tennessee, Trump said, “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,″ adding that ”for some reason (Zelensky) never does." asserted
Zelensky → speak → reason
“Zelensky could have settled this war many times, many many times, and he chooses not to,” Trump railed, after being asked about his deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply diesel to the U.S. in a bid to lower fuel costs ahead of the midterm elections. uncertain
Trump → settle → elections
Top story: Zelensky backs ‘energy ceasefire’, but no word from Putin after Trump announcement Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will support a bilateral “energy ceasefire” with Russia, after being caught off guard by Donald Trump’s shock announcement that a deal had already been agreed. asserted
deal → back → announcement
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, the US president said: “Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. asserted
president → say → Russia
Both parties have agreed. asserted
parties → agree → ?
The Ukrainian president said he had not heard of such a deal, but would agree to it if Russia did, according to Axios. uncertain
Russia → say → Axios
Kyiv had publicly backed a truce on striking energy infrastructure before Trump announced on Friday plans to lift sanctions on Moscow to supply diesel to the US and global markets - much to Zelensky’s chagrin. The Kremlin is still yet to acknowledge Trump’s claim to have established a ceasefire between the warring sides. uncertain
Kremlin → back → sides
Russia had reportedly sought sanctions relief as a concession for its adherence to a ceasefire earlier in the week. uncertain
Russia → seek → week
The controversial diesel deal with Russia has proven controversial even within Trump’s own base as the president looks to bring down energy prices in the US ahead of the November midterm elections. asserted
president → prove → elections
Trump hit out at Zelensky on Saturday, saying it was time for Ukraine to find a new leader after Kyiv struck Russian oil refineries. asserted
Kyiv → hit → refineries
Zelensky said on Sunday he would hold new elections if Putin agrees to a 60-day “total ceasefire”. UK PM Burnham says Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit vote Andy Burnham has said Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit vote, as he warned voters in France and Germany about Moscow-backed efforts to influence their politics. Burnham, who took over as Britain's leader in July and said last month that Britain could consider rejoining the European Union in the future, is the first British prime minister to say openly there was evidence of Russian interference in the referendum a decade ago. uncertain
Britain → say → referendum
"I asked the question coming to Downing Street, was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? asserted
I → ask → Russia
And I've had the clear answer that yes, there was," Burnham said in an interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast released on Sunday. asserted
Rest → have → Sunday
Burnham did not spell out how he believed that Russia interfered in the referendum and gave no details on what evidence this statement was based. asserted
statement → spell → evidence
The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment. asserted
embassy → respond → comment
Russia has previously denied meddling in the Brexit vote, casting Britain as gripped by anti-Russian hysteria. asserted
Russia → deny → hysteria
Prominent Republican senator says Trump's Russian diesel deal may be illegal Republican US Senator Thom Tillis on Sunday said President Donald Trump's diesel supply deal with Russia may be illegal and will put American lives at risk, adding to bipartisan criticism of the arrangement announced by the president on Friday. uncertain
deal → say → Friday
Trump said that Russia had agreed to supply diesel to global markets, and his administration temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel that were designed to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war on Ukraine. asserted
that → say → Ukraine
“I do believe there’s a legitimate case for saying the president’s not following the law,” said Tillis, an influential Republican from North Carolina who is retiring from the Senate at the end of his term in January. asserted
who → believe → January
Ukraine is awaiting details of ceasefire proposals from US, Zelenskyy says Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was waiting for the details of an energy ceasefire with Russia announced by US President Trump on Sunday, but that Ukraine supported such an agreement. "Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well. asserted
Russia → await → it
We are awaiting details from the American side," the Ukrainian president said in a post on the Telegram app, noting that he had just discussed Trump's announcement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Finnish President Alex Stubb. "For our part, Ukraine always FULLY supports steps toward de-escalation, the protection of lives, and the decisions needed to end the war and guarantee lasting peace," he added. asserted
he → await → peace
Watch: Trump calls for Ukraine election, says Zelenskyy failed to end war UK prime minister backs calls for energy ceasefire Andy Burnham, writing on social media, decries the weekend attacks on Ukraine. asserted
Burnham → watch → Ukraine
…and 10 more, not listed.
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