Zelensky Condemns U.S.-Russia Energy Deal as Kyiv Endures Wave of Deadly Strikes

President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized a recent diesel agreement between the United States and Russia, characterizing it as a concession to President Vladimir Putin. Observers suggest the arrangement is an effort by the White House to mitigate domestic fuel costs ahead of the midterm elections.

In a social media post on Saturday, Zelensky asserted that fresh Russian strikes on energy infrastructure in Kyiv laid bare Moscow’s “true intentions.” He warned that Russia remains committed to war and will only halt its campaign when its capacity to prolong the conflict erodes.

“Unfortunately, the signals Russia received yesterday were entirely different – signals suggesting that it could simply keep attacking. And this needs to be corrected,” Zelensky stated.

Both nations have intensified attacks on critical infrastructure in recent months as the full-scale invasion grinds on. On Thursday, a Russian glide bomb strike on two civilian buses in Kramatorsk, located in the eastern Donetsk region, killed at least 33 people. A day earlier, a missile strike on an apartment block in Pryluky, east of Kyiv, claimed 22 lives, including five children.

According to the United Nations, civilian casualties in Ukraine surged by 55% during the first eight months of this year. As winter nears, Russia has renewed its campaign against Ukrainian energy facilities—a tactic employed in previous winters. Kyiv consistently accuses Moscow of deliberately targeting civilians, a charge the Kremlin denies.

In response, Ukraine has expanded operations against strategic infrastructure deep inside Russia, hitting oil refineries, terminals, and data centers belonging to the technology giant Yandex. Ukrainian officials maintain these strikes aim to degrade the revenue streams fueling Russia’s war machine.

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