Russia strikes Ukrainian cities, spares energy facilities.

Russia launched new missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities overnight from Monday to Tuesday, causing at least four deaths in Kharkiv. For the first time since US President Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" over the weekend, Moscow appears to have spared Ukrainian energy facilities. It is unclear whether this was a deliberate choice.

In its daily summary, the Russian Defense Ministry did not mention strikes against energy infrastructure. However, one missile fell just over a kilometer from a power plant that provides heating to the city of Lviv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine has not struck Russian refineries for two days, but that Russia has continued attacks on critical infrastructure.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which erupted with the large-scale invasion of February 2022, recently took a significant diplomatic twist related to energy prices. U.S. President Donald Trump, ahead of the midterm Congressional elections in three weeks, pointed the finger at Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, which prompted Moscow to suspend diesel exports, accusing them of causing fuel prices to soar in the USA.

To lower costs, Trump announced a deal on Sunday that lifts U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel exports, allowing Russia to supply nearly 2 million tons. Simultaneously, he proclaimed an "energy ceasefire," stating that both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to it. Neither side confirmed the agreement, but U.S. sources threatened to cut intelligence sharing and arms sales to Kyiv if it does not stop attacks on refineries. The situation has created a serious crisis between Washington and Kyiv, with European leaders expressing dismay over the diesel agreement.