Will Russia and Ukraine halt attacks on energy infrastructure?
Al Jazeera
β’Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:50:51 +0000
π° What Happened
In a video report, Al Jazeera's Dmitry Medvedenko, reporting from Moscow, examines whether Russia and Ukraine will halt attacks on each other's energy infrastructure. US President Donald Trump has claimed that the two sides have agreed to such a pause, but neither government has confirmed an agreement, although both have expressed an interest in one. The report notes that no verification of the claim has come from either Moscow or Kyiv.
π The Backstory
Russian missile and drone campaigns against Ukraine's power generation have been a recurring feature of the war since the first winter of the full-scale invasion, causing widespread blackouts and heating failures. Ukraine has in turn used long-range drones to strike Russian oil refineries and terminals, hitting export revenue. Previous partial understandings about avoiding energy targets have repeatedly broken down within days, and earlier US-brokered ceasefire attempts have not held.
π― Why It Matters
If it holds, a pause would ease pressure on Ukraine's grid ahead of winter and limit damage to Russia's refining and export capacity. That could feed through to global oil and gas markets, which have already been unsettled by the wider conflict involving Iran and disruption in the Red Sea. Ukrainian and Russian civilians are most directly affected, since energy strikes have meant blackouts, loss of heating and casualties. Whether any arrangement is verifiable, and whether it survives contact with the battlefield, is the central question for observers.
In a video report, Al Jazeera's Dmitry Medvedenko, reporting from Moscow, examines whether Russia and Ukraine will halt attacks on each other's energy infrastructure. US President Donald Trump has claimed that the two sides have agreed to such a pause, but neither government has confirmed an agreement, although both have expressed an interest in one. The report notes that no verification of the claim has come from either Moscow or Kyiv.
Russian missile and drone campaigns against Ukraine's power generation have been a recurring feature of the war since the first winter of the full-scale invasion, causing widespread blackouts and heating failures. Ukraine has in turn used long-range drones to strike Russian oil refineries and terminals, hitting export revenue. Previous partial understandings about avoiding energy targets have repeatedly broken down within days, and earlier US-brokered ceasefire attempts have not held.
If it holds, a pause would ease pressure on Ukraine's grid ahead of winter and limit damage to Russia's refining and export capacity. That could feed through to global oil and gas markets, which have already been unsettled by the wider conflict involving Iran and disruption in the Red Sea. Ukrainian and Russian civilians are most directly affected, since energy strikes have meant blackouts, loss of heating and casualties. Whether any arrangement is verifiable, and whether it survives contact with the battlefield, is the central question for observers.