Russia attacks over 15 Ukrainian energy sites, Zelenskyy seeks backing for US sanctions on Moscow

Russia carried out a large-scale overnight attack on Ukrainian infrastructure targets, including the country's largest steelworks in Kryvyi Rih, while striking more than 15 energy facilities in western and central regions, Russian authorities and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.

Russia's defence ministry said the overnight strikes targeted the steel plant owned by ArcelorMittal, a steel giant that suspended operations at the facility in September following a series of Russian ballistic missile attacks. The ministry said the plant supplied steel products to Ukraine's military-industrial complex.

Russian forces also struck an electricity substation in the northwestern city of Zhytomyr and another steel plant in Zaporizhzhia, a city near the front line, the ministry said. It added that a cargo vessel in the Black Sea had also been hit, alleging that it was carrying military cargo to Ukraine's Odesa port.

Zelenskyy said Russia had attacked more than 15 Ukrainian energy facilities in the overnight strikes.

"Russia has expanded its campaign against the energy system and is trying to stretch Ukraine's reserves and repair capacity as thinly as possible," he said in a post on Telegram.

Zelenskyy urges support for new US sanctions on Russia

Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged supporters Saturday to speak out in defense of new US sanctions against Russia, hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing a sweeping package of restrictions targeting the Russian economy.

The White House's decision has further raised fears that Ukraine could be left exposed to Moscow's escalating assaults with winter approaching.

Zelenskyy described Trump's move to put sanctions on hold as unfortunate, but did not directly criticize the US leader despite deepening tensions between Ukraine and Washington in recent days.

"A decision was unfortunately made in America to completely disregard the Lindsey Graham Act, which was supposed to impose truly effective pressure on Russia to bring this war to an end," Zelenskyy wrote.

He also expressed hope that the new sanctions could be revived. "This Act could have helped enormously - and still can! But it needs to actually work, and every voice in support of it matters," he said.