Russia seeking 'chaos' with new energy strikes: Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of sowing “chaos” with fresh strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid, while escalating drone attacks forced Kyiv to begin new evacuations of children from frontline villages.

- 

Moscow, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, has escalated aerial attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and rail systems over recent weeks, spurring power outages and train delays.

“Russia's task is to create chaos and apply psychological pressure on the population through strikes on energy facilities and railways,” Zelensky told journalists, including AFP, in comments released under embargo on Thursday.

He said later he was dispatching his prime minister and a senior sanctions adviser to the United States for talks early next week on air defence, energy, sanctions, as well as negotiations with Russia and frozen Russian assets.

The recent attacks mirror similar Russian bombing campaigns in the winters of 2022, 2023 and 2024 that left millions of Ukrainians without energy or heating for long periods.

His comments came just hours after fresh Russian attacks damaged energy infrastructure in the southern Black Sea region of Odesa, where port facilities were also struck.