Burc Eruygur
19 August 2025•Update: 19 August 2025
ISTANBUL
Ukraine said Tuesday that overnight Russian airstrikes targeted energy infrastructure in the central Poltava region, just hours after a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump and senior European leaders in Washington.
A statement by the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said Russia launched drones and missiles on energy infrastructure in the region.
The ministry said the overnight attack resulted in large-scale fires, while “several dozen” drones attacked one of the production facilities of Ukraine’s gas transportation system.
“Damage to the facility's ground infrastructure has been previously established. Specialists are already conducting a technical inspection of the equipment and assessing the extent of the damage,” the statement said.
“Since March 2025, more than 2,900 attacks on (Ukrainian) energy infrastructure have been carried out,” the ministry added, calling on the international community to increase sanctions on Moscow and provide Kyiv with additional support to protect critical infrastructure facilities.
Kremenchuk' mayor, Vitalii Maletskyi, said the attack targeted his city’s energy and transport infrastructure, and that the regional administration will later report on the consequences of the attack. Separately, Poltava Governor Volodymyr Kohut said there were no casualties.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force claimed air defenses shot down 230 out of 270 drones, as well as six out of 10 various types of missiles, launched by Russia overnight.
Russian authorities have yet to comment on the attack or the claims.
Trump hosted Zelenskyy and multiple European leaders in the White House on Monday, where they discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and other ways to end the Ukraine war.
The US president said his administration began preparations for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy, to be followed by a trilateral summit among the three presidents.
