Rumors have emerged that Russian and Ukrainian forces may have been ordered to temporarily halt strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure, according to bloggers and war correspondents reporting from both sides.
Pro-Kremlin blogger Vladimir Romanov first wrote that as of 7 a.m. Thursday, Russian troops were allegedly barred from striking “any infrastructure objects across Ukraine,” including Kyiv and its surrounding region, with the pause reportedly set to last until Feb. 3.
Romanov later posted what he said was the alleged text of the order, writing:
“Exclude strikes on targets within Kyiv and the Kyiv region, and across all of Ukraine on energy infrastructure facilities – including power substations, thermal power plants, hydroelectric stations, gas storage facilities, oil depots, and fuel storage from Jan. 28, 2026, until further instructions.”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian channel Supernova+ reported that a similar order exists on the Ukrainian side: Troops are reportedly told not to target Russian energy infrastructure.
The alleged pause appears linked to trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24 that involved the US, which, according to a Financial Times report, discussed stopping attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in exchange for Kyiv refraining from hitting Russian oil facilities and tankers.
Another Russian pro-war channel, Belorusskiy Silovik, said several Russian units have received verbal instructions, though not all troops are aware yet.
At the same time, Nikolaevsky Vanek, one of Ukraine’s largest air-raid monitoring channels – believed to be linked to a senior Ukrainian official – warned that “there is no final agreement on halting energy strikes,” adding that any pause is likely temporary and Russian forces are unlikely to fully stop their attacks.
When asked about the alleged “energy truce,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded: “I cannot comment on this for now.”
The reports come amid extremely harsh weather forecasts. According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, a sharp drop in temperatures is expected across the country from Feb. 1 to Feb. 3.
Nighttime lows could reach -20 to -27 °C (-4 to -16 °F), with Kyiv and nearby areas dropping to -20 to -25 °C (-4 to -13 °F). Daytime temperatures are expected between -15 and -22 °C (5 to -8 °F), with some areas seeing frost as low as -30 °C (-22 °F), triggering a red-level warning.
Neither government has officially confirmed the reports. Previous attempts to halt energy attacks – including a 30-day moratorium negotiated between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in spring 2025 – failed to produce lasting results.
In December 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a similar energy truce, but the Kremlin rejected it, insisting it seeks “stable, guaranteed, long-term peace,” not temporary measures.