At least 600,000 people across Ukraine have no electricity after Russian missile and drone strikes overnight, President Volodymyr Zelensky says. Twenty-six electricity facilities and four oil and gas installations took damage. Ukraine's air force counts 39 ballistic and cruise missiles and 128 drones launched; it says it shot down four missiles and 115 drones. People left in the dark don't get a vote on any of it.
In Kyiv, at least three people died and 21 suffered injuries, according to Ukraine's state emergencies service DSNS. On Tuesday evening, a ballistic missile struck Kyiv's CHP-4 power plant and a residential building in the Desnianskyi district. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least two people died and around 20 were wounded. Kyiv, home to about three million people, has faced intensifying attacks, with energy infrastructure a key target. Russia's defence ministry calls its strikes "massive" and says they hit communications and energy facilities "used by Ukraine's military." Kharkiv was hit too, in what is now the fifth year of the conflict.
A Ceasefire Announced by Post
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social network: "Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!" Neither capital seemed to know what it had agreed to. Zelensky says Ukraine is ready to halt strikes on Russian refineries and energy facilities if Moscow does the same. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answered that Ukraine does not deserve the "respite" a ceasefire would bring, adding that under any truce Europe would be able to "pump [Ukraine] with new weapons." Trump, meanwhile, suggested on Saturday it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president."
Three governments, three scripts, one blackout. The ceasefire lasted as long as it takes to read a post.
The Leash Called Intelligence
"A Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. Once again, no early warning from our partners," Zelensky wrote on Facebook. He says Ukraine received no warning from its partners for a second consecutive night, and that its systems detected the missiles only as they neared the city. "This is absolutely unjust," he added. Ukraine depends heavily on Western intelligence, especially from the US, to detect incoming attacks and identify its own targets. Media reports say the Trump administration warned intelligence cooperation could be curtailed unless Ukraine halts strikes on Russian oil refineries. Washington denies suspending intelligence-sharing, and Ukrainian officials say cooperation continues.
Kyiv residents heard explosions before air raid sirens sounded. That has rarely happened before. Officials blamed hard-to-detect missiles or possible technical issues.
One Billionaire's Speed Limit
Then came Starlink. Ukrainian forces reported restrictions on the military use of SpaceX's satellite system, apparently affecting StarShield, the military-grade version. Connectivity reportedly cuts out when terminals move faster than roughly 160 kilometres per hour. Serhiy Beskrestnov, a Zelenskyy adviser on military technology known as "Flash," wrote on Telegram that SpaceX introduced the limit overnight without notice: "Our defence forces did not receive a warning about this limitation and this led to the disruption of several missions."
Volunteer Serhiy Sternenko suggested SpaceX might have acted at the Trump administration's request. There's no independent evidence the White House ordered anything, and the reason remains unclear. On Saturday, Elon Musk, SpaceX's owner, wrote on X: "Zelenskyy has gone too far." No connection between that remark and the restrictions has been established. Still, the base facts speak for themselves: a country's battlefield communications can be throttled by a private company, overnight, with no warning.
Who Gets Crushed
Zelenskyy appealed to the US president for tougher sanctions and more Patriot interceptors: "We ask America and EVERYONE in the world who does not turn a blind eye to reality to respond and to respond forcefully." Russia, for its part, says it shot down 902 Ukrainian drones overnight over several regions, including Moscow and Crimea, annexed in 2014 — 12 years ago. Moscow controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Presidents, a foreign minister and a billionaire trade statements. The 600,000 without power aren't consulted. No one in this story has offered them anything but more of the same.