By Dan Peleschuk
Oct 14 (Reuters) – Russian strikes killed three people in Kyiv and plunged hundreds of thousands into darkness overnight, authorities said on Wednesday, in an attack President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called “ostentatious disrespect” to Donald Trump’s peace effort.
The hours-long missile and drone attack primarily targeted Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and damaged 30 energy facilities, Zelenskiy said. At least 600,000 people were left without power, he added.
US President Trump, who lifted sanctions on Russian diesel last week in a bid to lower politically sensitive fuel prices, has said that both sides agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure, though neither Moscow nor Kyiv confirmed it.
“The strike was entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale – Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States,” Zelenskiy wrote on X.
“Russia does not consider the American President’s statements strong.”
Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday it had struck four power plants in and around Kyiv and two in Kharkiv, among other targets.
LOW MISSILE INTERCEPTION RATE
Ukraine reported downing just four out of 39 missiles, reflecting Kyiv’s weakened air-defences against fast-moving ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones amid a shortage of weapons.
Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian cities ahead of winter as it struggles on the battlefield, sparking fears of widespread power and heating outages across the country.
Ukraine, for its part, has increasingly been attacking Russian oil refineries and logistics hubs in recent months, in what it views as one of the few ways it can respond to more than four and a half years of Russian bombardment.
Wednesday’s Russian attacks also targeted state railway facilities in five regions across Ukraine, said Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi.
Trump blames Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for the rise in fuel costs, especially of diesel, which has hit record prices since his war against Iran disrupted global oil supplies.
Sources have told Reuters and other news organisations that the US threatened to cut off intelligence used for early warning of missile strikes on Ukraine unless Kyiv stops attacking Russian oil refineries.
Zelenskiy had earlier said Ukraine had received no warning from Western partners before a previous overnight attack on the capital. Trump said on Tuesday that Washington was still sharing intelligence.
(Reporting by Dan PeleschukEditing by Peter Graff)
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