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3:00 PM A Truce in Words - Attacks on Ukrainian Energy Continue

Despite a declared truce, attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities by Russian forces persist, raising doubts about the effectiveness of such agreements.<p class="ql-align-justify">Donald Trump announced after a phone call with Vladimir Putin that both sides had agreed to refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure. Just a few days later, Vladimir Zelensky stated that since this announcement, Russian forces have hit at least six Ukrainian energy facilities. If these numbers are confirmed, they cast doubt on the very concept of a "partial truce"—as an instrument and as a political signal.</p><h2>What Happened</h2><p class="ql-align-justify">The scheme proposed by the White House seemed extremely narrow: not a complete cessation of hostilities, but a moratorium on strikes against power plants, substations, and gas infrastructure. From Washington's perspective, this topic is the least toxic for both sides: Russia has long been under sanctions in the energy market, while Ukraine is entering a season where the destruction of thermal and combined heat and power plants directly means cold and darkness in the cities. It seemed like a minimum compromise from which a broader dialogue could begin.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">According to Kyiv, the compromise lasted no more than a few days. The Ukrainian side identifies specific facilities that were attacked after Trump's statement and speaks of an ongoing "hunt" for the energy system. Moscow, for its part, accuses Kyiv of its own attacks—on oil refineries and fuel storage facilities inside Russia—and claims that some targets were struck even before the order to halt reached the executors.</p><h2>Why the "Energy Truce" is So Fragile</h2><p class="ql-align-justify">Any agreement requires a verification mechanism. In the case of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, such a mechanism does not exist. There are no joint monitoring missions, no agreed methodology: what counts as an "attack on energy"—is it only a hit on a generating unit or also damage to the networks? What to do with drones launched before the "hour X," but that arrive later? How to delineate military and civilian objects when a substation supplies both a city and an ammunition depot?</p><p class="ql-align-justify">To this, political logic adds complexity. For Moscow, Ukraine's energy sector is one of the few pressure resources that works without direct contact on the front lines. Abandoning it means relinquishing leverage. For Kyiv, stopping its own attacks on Russian oil refineries is also a concession, and a significant one at that: such strikes noticeably affect Russia's domestic fuel market. The asymmetry of benefits makes the agreement inherently unstable.</p><h2>The Role of Washington and the Trap of Publicity</h2><p class="ql-align-justify">Trump's decision to announce the agreement publicly, without waiting for a formal document and control procedures, is typical of his diplomatic style—but it carries risks. Any incident following such a loud statement becomes not just a violation, but a blow to the mediator's authority. The White House finds itself in a position where it must either acknowledge the breakdown of agreements or retouch the events, undermining the trust of the Ukrainian side.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">For Kyiv, the situation is double-edged. On the one hand, it cannot abandon the negotiation track backed by a key partner. On the other hand, the demonstrative recording of each attack becomes a way to show Washington: without firm guarantees, the "truce" will be used as a cover for continuing the war by other means.</p><h2>What’s Next</h2><p class="ql-align-justify">The short history of the "energy moratorium" has once again shown a simple truth: peace cannot be declared through a press release. A sustainable ceasefire—even in one narrow area—requires agreed procedures, independent monitoring, and, most importantly, the political willingness of the parties to pay an internal price for it. Until that willingness exists, any "agreements" will disintegrate faster than the ruins of yet another substation can cool.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">For millions of people on both sides of the front line, the issue is not geopolitical configurations, but whether there will be light, heat, and water. And it is this human cost that serves as the main argument for not turning truce negotiations into media gestures. Life demands not loud statements, but working agreements.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">© lesnoy, LifeArmy.org</p><p>© lesnoy, LifeArmy.org</p><p>Original: <a href="https://lifearmy.org/articles/a-truce-in-words-attacks-on-ukrainian-energy-continue">https://lifearmy.org/articles/a-truce-in-words-attacks-on-ukrainian-energy-continue</a></p>

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