Russian strikes hit key power plant in Kyiv, Zelensky says

A Russian ballistic missile struck a power plant in Kyiv on Tuesday evening, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, without Ukraine receiving advance warning from its Western allies, despite US President Donald Trump's claim for an "energy ceasefire" in effect. Ukraine relies heavily on Western intelligence, particularly from the US, to detect incoming Russian attacks and pinpoint their targets.

Kyiv, which houses approximately three million people, has endured escalating assaults from Russian drones and missiles, with energy facilities being a primary target. Zelensky expressed on Facebook that there was no early warning from his partners, and the primary focus of the attack was on energy infrastructure, specifically the CHP-4 facility.

Ukrainian systems only detected the missiles as they approached the city. Zelensky deemed the situation unjust, emphasizing that while Russian forces destroy Ukrainian infrastructure, they are not alerted about ballistic missile launches. At least two individuals were killed, and around 20 were wounded when the missile also struck a residential building in the Desnianskyi district, as reported by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Since Monday night, residents of Kyiv had heard explosions from Russian strikes, with air raid sirens sounding only rarely in the past. Ukrainian officials attributed the recent incidents to the Russian military's use of advanced missiles or potential technical malfunctions. On Sunday, US President Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to cease long-range strikes targeting power plants and oil refineries.

However, Trump has frequently criticized Zelensky over strikes on Russian oil refineries and suggested that it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president."