Russian Strikes Kill 15 in Ukraine After U.S.-Russia Diesel Deal

Russian strikes killed 15 civilians in south-east Ukraine early on Oct. 10, including three children. The deaths came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel. The Guardian

Ukrainian officials said the dead were killed in overnight attacks on the south-east. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia "expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia." Glide bombs are heavy bombs fitted with short wings so they can travel farther to a target.

Ukraine's largest private energy provider reported "large-scale power outages" in Kyiv. The strikes hit housing and energy infrastructure. That extends the campaign against Ukrainian cities and the power grid, which Kyiv has sought to halt through a partial truce, a limited agreement to stop attacks on certain targets like energy sites.

Trump announced the diesel purchase on Friday, saying it was needed to reduce diesel prices. He said Russia had agreed to supply diesel to global markets in an effort to lower prices. Reuters

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov described Friday's Trump-Putin call as "very substantive and friendly." Ushakov said neither Trump nor Putin wanted to hang up first and they hung up simultaneously.

Zelenskyy called the arrangement a "gift" to Putin. In separate remarks reported on Oct. 10, he called it a "birthday present" for Vladimir Putin. Axios

His objection was about money and fighting power. Sanctions are restrictions on trade and finance meant to pressure a government. Zelenskyy said Russia would use money raised from the diesel sales to invest in its war against Ukraine. He said any easing of sanctions would allow Russia to kill more and wage war for longer. Any easing of sanctions against Russia without an agreement to de-escalate fighting, to reduce attacks, is "an obvious weakness." He also said the deal allows Russia to "have even less respect for America."

U.S., Ukrainian and European negotiators met in Miami on Oct. 10, 2026. Ukrainian negotiators were in Miami for peace talks when the Trump-Putin diesel deal was announced. Kyiv arrived to discuss how to end the war. Washington announced a commodity deal with Moscow that Kyiv says funds the war.

European leaders restated support for Kyiv. EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said the diesel deal "provides Moscow with more revenues to wage war." Kallas said EU foreign ministers intend on Monday to approve what she described as the biggest set of sanctions listings targeting Russia's war machine since the start of the war. The planned package would add 1,600 new individuals and entities to the EU's sanctions blacklist, its list of people and companies facing penalties.

Zelenskyy has previously linked fuel and refineries to battlefield capacity, like fuel in a tank that keeps an army moving. He said Ukraine is ready for an energy ceasefire, an agreement to stop attacks on energy sites. Ukrainian Presidency He said Russia has lost 45% of all the diesel it has. He said Russia has lost 45% of its oil refineries. He wrote separately that Russia has lost control of its diesel oil industry due to its war with Ukraine.

The broader context here is a war where energy is both a target and a source of income. Moscow strikes Ukrainian power and heat as winter approaches while seeking income from oil and gas. Kyiv strikes Russian refineries to constrict that income. Washington proposes lower fuel prices through Russian supply. Brussels proposes tighter sanctions to constrict it further.

Looking at what this means for negotiation dynamics, the Miami channel now carries an added test. Ukraine wants an energy ceasefire and no sanctions relief without de-escalation. The United States wants price relief and engagement with the Kremlin. The EU wants to show that sanctions policy will tighten even if U.S. policy loosens. Those objectives can appear together in statements. They are harder to reconcile in enforcement, shipping, insurance and payment channels for diesel.

Looking ahead, the next markers are concrete. Monday will show whether EU ministers approve the 1,600 listings. The Miami talks will show whether an energy ceasefire advances from a Ukrainian offer to a mutual commitment. And the diesel arrangement will show structure: volumes, pricing, sanctions treatment and delivery routes. Without those details, its market effect and its military effect cannot be measured with precision.