Ukrainian 65th Mechanized Brigade recruits train at a training ground in Zaporizhzhia, (AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday to negotiate for peace in Ukraine, citing the success of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, while Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian energy facilities, leading to power outages in parts of Odesa overnight.

In a phone call he described as “very positive,” Zelensky wrote on his Facebook page: “I congratulated President Donald Trump on his success in reaching an agreement in the Middle East, which is an exceptional achievement.” He added: “If a war can be stopped in one region, it is certain that other wars can also be stopped, including the war waged by Russia.”

This call comes amid Trump’s efforts since his return to the White House in January to end the worst conflict in Europe since World War II.

Zelensky said: “There must be a will on the Russian side to engage in genuine diplomacy, and this can be achieved by force.” In recent weeks, Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Putin, while the latter accused Europe of preventing conflict resolution and working on “perpetual escalation” of the conflict.

Early next week, a Ukrainian delegation led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko will head to the United States for talks on imposing sanctions on Moscow and on Ukraine’s energy and air defense files. Zelensky revealed that the discussion included “opportunities to strengthen our air defense,” without further details.

With temperatures dropping, Russia intensified its attacks on electricity, gas, and railway facilities, depriving millions of Ukrainians of power and heating, while Kyiv denounces war crimes and Moscow confirms it targets sites feeding the “military-industrial complex.”

Russian strikes on Saturday killed at least five people in several areas, including Kherson in the south and Kharkiv in the northeast. A UN report showed that September witnessed a “worrying trend of increased violence” against civilians, reflecting escalating humanitarian losses amid the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, a source in the Ukrainian security service told Reuters that Ukrainian drones struck a Russian oil refinery owned by Bashneft in the city of Ufa, causing explosions and a fire. The source added that this was the third strike by the Ukrainian security service in Bashkortostan in the past month, indicating that the depth of Russian territory is not immune to targeting.

A Russian night attack also caused power outages in parts of the Odesa region before the Ukrainian energy company DTEK restored electricity to more than 240,000 homes. Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiber said on Telegram: “The night before last, the enemy attacked the energy and civilian infrastructure in the Odesa region, and energy engineers are doing their utmost to fully restore supplies.”

Moscow targets Ukraine’s energy grid every winter since the war began in 2022, causing power and heating cuts for millions of homes and disrupting water supplies, attacks Kyiv considers “blatant war crimes.” Russia denies targeting civilians, asserting that Ukraine uses energy sites to operate its military sector. (Agencies)