Zelenskyy Calls for Energy Ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for an energy ceasefire with Russia after reporting a day of air raid alerts and strikes involving Shahed drones. In an address on Oct. 12, he said the United States had the capability to help secure a reliable halt to Russian attacks.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s forces were maintaining active defenses and gradually pushing Russian troops back. He claimed Russian losses had risen in recent months, including approximately 200 troops killed daily in the Dobropillia area, though the figures were not independently verified.

The president said Ukrainian forces were preventing Russian advances and infiltration attempts despite being outnumbered in some areas of the front. He praised several Ukrainian military and border guard units for their performance, including the Azov Special Forces Brigade, the Bureviy Presidential Brigade and the 95th Air Assault Brigade.

Zelenskyy also said he had spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and participated in the Warsaw Security Forum with leaders from Poland, Norway and Lithuania. He said Ukraine was continuing discussions with the team of the U.S. president and urged Russia to take steps toward de-escalation.