KYIV/MOSCOW/SOFIA/BRUSSELS – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that Ukraine had not received advance warnings from its Western allies before Russian ballistic missiles struck the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Tuesday night, marking the second such occurrence this week.
One person was killed and six others injured after a strike damaged a residential building, Zelensky said in a post on Facebook.
One of Kyiv's main power plants was also targeted, he said.
US President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an "energy ceasefire." Zelensky later said that "if Russians agree to an energy ceasefire, Ukraine will agree."
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Washington was still sharing intelligence with Ukraine and working with both Kyiv and Moscow to end the war. "We are helping them, and we are sharing intel."
Explosions were heard again in Kyiv early Wednesday as Russia launched ballistic missiles against the city, the Ukrinform news agency reported.
Russia says contacts continue on possible energy truce
Contacts over a possible energy truce between Russia and Ukraine were continuing, but there had been no new progress, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Russia seeks a lasting peace rather than a temporary truce.
There was no direct link between Russia's recent diesel supply agreement with Washington and Moscow's position on Ukraine, Peskov said, describing the deal as mutually beneficial and in the interests of global energy markets.
On Friday, Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin under which Russia would supply diesel fuel to the United States and global markets.
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Zelensky said Monday that Ukraine supports the energy ceasefire but reserves the right to retaliate if Moscow refuses to observe it. He also accused Moscow of continuing to strike Ukrainian energy facilities.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that Russian forces had carried out overnight strikes on Ukrainian military production, logistics and transport facilities in Kyiv and the southern Mykolaiv region.
In Kyiv, the strikes targeted a workshop at the Pulp Mill Print enterprise, allegedly used to manufacture long-range missiles and drones, and the Darnytsia locomotive depot, which the ministry said was used to repair railway rolling stock for transporting military cargo.
ALSO READ: Putin, Trump discuss Ukraine crisis, energy supply over phone
In the Mykolaiv region, the strikes hit a logistics center of Ukrainian postal company Nova Poshta in the settlement of Ternivka, allegedly used to store dual-use cargo, and a drone warehouse in the settlement of Mishkovo-Pohorilove, the ministry said in an online statement.
A dry cargo vessel carrying military and dual-use supplies bound for the port of Mykolaiv was also hit, according to the ministry.
The ministry said earlier that Russian air defenses had intercepted 604 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions overnight.
Bulgaria PM summons Russian ambassador after merchant ship attacks
In Sofia, Prime Minister Rumen Radev summoned Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova on Tuesday over a series of drone attacks on merchant ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea over the past week.
Radev acknowledged that Bulgaria did not have conclusive evidence regarding the origin of the drones. However, he argued that since one of the vessels targeted was registered in Ukraine and Ukrainian-owned, "it makes no sense for Ukraine to destroy its own ships," according to the Bulgarian Government Information Service (GIS).
Mitrofanova said she understood Radev's reasoning but had received no information from the Russian government related to the recent attacks in the Black Sea, the GIS added.
Meanwhile, Mitrofanova raised the possibility that these attacks on merchant ships near Bulgarian territorial waters could have been a provocation by a third country.
Radev emphasized that attacks on merchant ships were absolutely unacceptable, warning that they risked significantly escalating the conflict. He called for continued investigations with the EU and NATO allies to establish the truth.
Tensions in the Black Sea near Bulgaria have escalated since unidentified drones sank one merchant ship and set another on fire about 70 nautical miles east of Byala on Oct 6.
Two more merchant ships came under attack early Tuesday.
The Chelsea 3, flying the Maltese flag, registered in Ukraine, and Ukrainian-owned, was attacked 18 nautical miles east of the town of Byala. Bulgarian authorities rescued all 15 crew members aboard the vessel. The other ship, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity, sank near Krapets. According to the latest update from Bulgarian authorities, five crew members were rescued, while 11 remained missing.
Rutte: NATO to adjust defense posture in Black Sea ‘as needed’
In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday that NATO would adjust its deterrence and defense posture in the Black Sea region if the situation requires it.
In a post on social media platform X, Rutte said he had spoken by phone with Radev about recent attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea.
NATO would continue to work closely with its allies in the Black Sea region, he said, adding that the alliance had strengthened its deployments on the eastern flank and would continue to monitor the security situation and adjust its deterrence and defense posture "as needed."
