Ukraine resumes strikes on Russian energy sites as EU leaders rally behind Zelenskyy in Brussels
Kyiv says Russia never stopped hitting its power plants. President Trump criticised the Ukrainian strikes, while EU leaders discussed new financing and a task force on Ukraine's membership bid.
At a glance
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is resuming attacks on Russian energy facilities, arguing Russia never agreed to a halt and kept striking Ukrainian power plants.
- President Donald Trump, who had called for an end to such strikes, described them as a 'disgrace', according to Reuters.
- At an EU summit in Brussels on October 16, leaders rallied around Zelenskyy; Estonia's prime minister said a new EU loan to Ukraine will probably be needed.
- The European Commission and Ukraine launched a joint task force on Ukraine's EU accession file.
Ukraine says it is going back on the offensive against Russia's energy infrastructure, opening a new rift with Washington just as European leaders gathered in Brussels to show support for Kyiv.
Why Kyiv changed course
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would resume attacks on Russian energy sites. President Donald Trump had called for a halt to such strikes, but Zelenskyy said Russia never agreed to stop and kept hitting Ukrainian power plants and civilians. Ukrainian officials said on Thursday that power supplies had largely returned to normal after recent attacks. Fresh Russian strikes on Friday set an industrial facility producing household goods ablaze, according to Euronews footage.
Trump responded sharply, calling the Ukrainian strikes a "disgrace", Reuters reported. ABC News reported that Trump and Vice President JD Vance planned a virtual meeting with Zelenskyy ahead of a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Europe closes ranks
At the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, October 16, European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Zelenskyy as leaders rallied around him. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the EU will probably have to provide a new loan to Ukraine, signalling more financial support is on the way.
The Commission and Ukraine also launched a joint task force to work on Ukraine's EU accession file. Elsewhere in the region, Bulgaria said it is seeking NATO anti-drone systems, and Romania resumed searching for seven sailors missing from a drone-hit ship.
What to watch
The next steps hinge on Washington. A US-Russia summit would put pressure on Kyiv to accept limits on long-range strikes, while European leaders are signalling that their financial and political backing will continue whatever the outcome.
Questions people are asking
Why did Ukraine resume strikes on Russian energy sites?
Zelenskyy said Russia never agreed to stop attacking energy infrastructure and continued hitting Ukrainian power plants and civilians, so Ukraine would resume its own strikes.
What happened at the EU summit on October 16?
EU leaders met Zelenskyy in Brussels, voiced support for Ukraine, discussed future financing, and the European Commission and Ukraine launched a joint task force on accession.
How we verified this story
GlobeHourly wrote this report in its own words after checking the facts against 4 independent sources: official statements, wire agencies and established news outlets. Read our standards.
