Topic: Energy
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Ukraine applies for membership in OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Ukraine is applying for membership in the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal announced at the "Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2026" ministerial conference in Paris. The bid comes alongside announcements on domestic nuclear fuel production, Western supply partnerships, and plans to expand electricity export capacity to the EU.
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U.S. House passes sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill, sending it to Trump
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for signature. The bill imposes mandatory sanctions on Russian leadership, oligarchs, banks, energy firms and the shadow fleet, and authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on countries among the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas. Ukraine welcomed the measure; China, India and Russia sharply criticized it; Germany praised it; Hungary is seeking an exemption.
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Norway to allocate 1 billion kroner through EU's Ukraine Facility, first non-EU contributor
Norway announced on September 17 that it will allocate 1 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately 90–92 million euros) through the EU's Ukraine Facility mechanism to support Ukraine's state budget and reforms in anti-corruption and energy. Norway becomes the first non-EU country to contribute to the mechanism. The announcement was made during European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos's visit to Norway.
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Ukraine hits Rostov airfield and Yaroslavl oil refinery in overnight strikes
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck a military airfield in Rostov-on-Don and the Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery in Yaroslavl on the night of September 17. The SBU carried out the airfield strike, while the refinery hit was a joint operation of the SBU, the Unmanned Systems Forces, military intelligence (HUR) and the Foreign Intelligence Service. Russian governors reported no casualties from either attack.
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U.S. DFC approves €85 million loan to DTEK for battery storage expansion in Ukraine
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has approved an €85 million (approximately $97.5 million) loan to Ukrainian energy company DTEK to expand battery energy storage systems in Ukraine. The loan is part of a broader DFC investment package of more than $8 billion covering projects in Ukraine, Jordan, and several African countries, and is the largest DFC financing in Ukraine's energy sector since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
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DFC approves financing for Vodafone Ukraine and DTEK energy storage
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) approved financing for Vodafone Ukraine to strengthen and modernize wartime telecommunications infrastructure, with the operator set to gain access to 5G networks built on what DFC describes as "trusted technology." The same DFC package includes a loan to DTEK for the construction of energy storage systems with a capacity of 200 MW / 400 MWh.
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Two Russian oil refineries halt processing after Ukrainian drone strikes
The Syzran and Saratov oil refineries in Russia stopped crude processing following Ukrainian drone attacks, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing three industry sources. The Syzran plant halted operations on 15 September after its main primary distillation unit was damaged, while the Saratov plant stopped on 11 September. The stoppages add to a string of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refining capacity and come as Russia has already restricted fuel exports.
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Ukraine's parliament backs reboot of energy regulator in first reading
On 16 September, the Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 14282 in its first reading, with 249 MPs voting in favour. The bill aims to strengthen the independence of the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Utility Services (NKREKP) and set the stage for a full reboot of the regulator after adoption. It also responds to a major corruption case in the energy sector by seeking to remove associates of the implicated figures from the body.
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Atesh partisans report sabotage of substation powering Russian missile-components plant in Voronezh
Ukraine-linked Atesh partisan movement says one of its agents infiltrated an electrical substation near the VZPP-Sborka plant in Voronezh and destroyed its main distribution cabinet. The plant produces components for Kh-101 missiles, Iskander-K systems, and Pantsir-S1 air defense complexes. Atesh reports the outage disrupted component deliveries and that full power restoration took weeks.
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Ukraine rolls out dynamic electricity pricing for smart-meter users; UN weighs underground storage after warehouse strikes
Ukraine is preparing to introduce dynamic electricity prices that will fluctuate with energy market rates, available on a voluntary basis to households equipped with smart meters. Separately, the UN is considering moving humanitarian supplies into underground bunkers after ten of its warehouses in Ukraine were struck this year, with damages estimated in the millions of dollars.
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Half of Russia's largest diesel refineries cut or halt output after Ukrainian drone strikes
Three of Russia's six largest diesel-producing refineries have been forced to significantly cut or halt production in September following Ukrainian drone attacks, disrupting output from facilities that together account for roughly half of Russian diesel. The Kirishi (Kinef) refinery fully halted operations, while Volgograd and NORSI are running at about a quarter of normal capacity. U.S. President Donald Trump on 13 September urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop the strikes, attributing global diesel shortages and price increases to the Russia–Ukraine war rather than the U.S.–Iran conflict; Ukraine responded that it is ready for a ceasefire only if Russia also stops strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
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Zelensky's Staff meeting focuses on protecting rail and energy infrastructure from Russian strikes
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff centered on contracts for protection systems for critical infrastructure and logistics. The meeting addressed the needs of Ukrzaliznytsia, gas station networks, and other priority targets for Russian strikes, approved a significant strengthening of electronic warfare capabilities, and tasked the Ministry of Finance with securing additional resources for logistics.
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NABU exposes group suspected of stealing 100,000 tonnes of Ukrnafta fuel worth over 2.88 billion hryvnias
Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies NABU and SAPO announced they had exposed an organized group suspected of misappropriating 100,000 tonnes of oil products belonging to Ukrnafta, Ukraine's largest oil producer. The estimated value exceeds 2.88 billion hryvnias. Four suspects have been formally notified in the first episode of the case, with several others identified. The investigation covers a 2017–2020 scheme in which fuel was routed through affiliated companies and proceeds were diverted via offshore entities.
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Russia hits Poland-Ukraine border crossing with drone strike
Russia launched a drone strike on an international road checkpoint on the Poland-Ukraine border, according to reported information. The attack targeted a border crossing with a NATO and EU member state, raising escalation concerns.
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Russian drone attack on Kyiv hits gas stations and warehouses, killing one and wounding eleven
Russia struck Kyiv with drones overnight and throughout the day on 15 September, hitting two Ukrnafta gas stations in the Darnytskyi and Holosiivskyi districts, warehouse premises in Obolonskyi, and garage cooperatives in Solomianskyi and Sviatoshynskyi. Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko and the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMVA) reported one person killed and eleven injured across the day, with air defence active and Kyiv City Express service temporarily suspended.
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Trump announces Russia–Ukraine energy-strike deal; Kyiv says no agreement exists yet
On September 14, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to mutually stop targeting each other's energy facilities. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow confirmed the claim. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to refrain from striking Russian infrastructure only if partners guarantee Russia would stop striking Ukrainian energy and other critical infrastructure, and he stressed no final deal exists.
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Zelensky says he may meet Trump in New York to push for energy and Black Sea ceasefire
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a telethon interview aired on September 14 that he may meet US President Donald Trump in New York on September 21–23 during the UN General Assembly high-level week. The talks would focus on an energy ceasefire and a pause in mutual strikes on the Black Sea ahead of winter, with Zelensky saying Ukraine is open to a maritime-plus-energy ceasefire even if Russia will not agree to a full end to the war.
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Trump urges Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure, blames them for global shortage
On 13 September 2026, visiting his Doonbeg golf club during the Irish Open in County Clare, Ireland, US President Donald Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop striking Russian diesel fuel infrastructure, saying those attacks are causing a global diesel shortage. Trump said the deficit stems from the Russia–Ukraine war and not from US actions in the Middle East, and noted he had already discussed the issue with Zelensky. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly disagreed, and a senior European official briefed on US-mediated talks called the reasoning "absurd."
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Russia launches nearly 500 strike drones at Ukraine on September 12, Zelensky says campaign targets the economy
On September 12, Russia conducted a sustained day-and-night drone barrage of nearly 500 strike drones against Ukraine, hitting railway infrastructure, food warehouses and other civilian economic targets. Ukrainian air defence downed or suppressed 336 of the 410 drones launched during the daytime period. President Zelensky framed the strikes as a deliberate effort to destroy Ukraine's economy and break Ukrainian resistance.
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Ukraine better prepared for winter energy strikes than last year, PM tells YES forum
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky told the YES 2026 conference in Kyiv that Ukraine is significantly better prepared for Russian attacks on energy infrastructure than last winter, while warning that full protection is impossible and the coming months will be difficult. He outlined contingency planning and decentralized support for regions and said the government must prepare for a prolonged war, even if a ceasefire is reached.