Russia wants blackout in Ukraine as winter comes — Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Saturday that Russia is intensifying its attacks on the country's energy infrastructure as winter approaches, with the goal of leaving millions of Ukrainians without electricity and heating. In a post on social media platform X, Zelenskyy said that Russia had carried out one of its biggest attacks on Ukraine's energy sector since the invasion began in February 2022, targeting over 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities.

The Ukrainian leader called on allies to put pressure on Moscow to stop this from happening, stating that Russia is trying to cause a blackout in Ukraine right before winter. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including an electricity substation in Zhytomyr and steel plants in Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump waived new sanctions on Russia, a move that Zelenskyy criticized, saying it would only encourage Russian leader Vladimir Putin to continue his attacks.