Zelensky says no warning from allies as Russian strikes hit key power plant in Kyiv

KYIV — A Russian ballistic missile hit a key energy facility supplying Kyiv with heating and electricity on Tuesday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, despite US President Donald Trump’s claim that an “energy ceasefire” is in place.Darnytska CHP-4, or CHPP-4, and a residential building were hit in a strike that Zelensky said came without any early warning from Ukraine’s Western allies.The Ukrainian capital, home to about three million people, has faced intensifying attacks from Russian drones and missiles, with energy infrastructure a key target.”A Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. Once again, no early warning from our partners,” Zelensky wrote on Facebook.Ukraine depends heavily on Western intelligence, especially from the US, to detect incoming Russian attacks and identify its own targets.Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people had been killed and 21 injured in the missile strike on the apartment block late on Tuesday. He said “several energy facilities” in Kyiv had been hit, without giving more detail.Kyiv has reported multiple Russian strikes since US President Donald Trump said an energy ceasefire had been agreed by Russia and Ukraine two days ago.”Ukraine supported an energy ceasefire. Russia is targeting yet another power plant and the lives of our people,” Zelensky said on social media following Tuesday’s strikes.”This is absolutely unjust: when they are destroying our energy infrastructure, and Ukraine is not even receiving early warnings about ballistic missile launches,” he added.”It is important that the world does not stay silent about this. And it is important that the United States really see what is happening and who is responsible for this war continuing.”It is the second night in a row Kyiv has been hit by Russian missiles.Following strikes on Monday night, there was speculation America had cut off access to key intelligence enabling Ukraine to track incoming threats.Earlier on Tuesday, Trump denied that was the case.”We are helping them and we are sharing intel,” he said.”We want the war to end. So we’re working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end.”Asked about Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy sites, Trump said: “Ukraine hit many sites the day before.”But he demurred when asked if Russia had broken a ceasefire. He said both countries want the war to “come to an end” but “just don’t know how to get there”.It comes after Zelensky said on Sunday that a 60-day ceasefire would allow ⁠his country to hold presidential elections, following comments from Trump that “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president”.Following Trump’s announcement on Sunday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine doesn’t deserve the “respite” a ceasefire would bring.Lavrov added that under any ceasefire, Europe would be able to “pump [Ukraine] with new weapons” for it to continue the war.CHPP-4, which provides heating and electricity to the Dniprovskyi district and parts of the Darnytskyi district, has been hit multiple times during the war.It was severely damaged in a separate Russian missile attack in February this year, which forced it to shut down.That strike left more than 1,000 residential buildings without heating and hot water, along with 47 schools, 72 kindergartens and 18 medical institutions, according to Reuters.