Ukrainian strikes cut power to Russian-held areas and Russia sets out punitive terms at peace talks with Ukraine

Ukrainian strikes triggered widespread power outages across Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity, Russia-appointed officials said Tuesday.

The attacks reportedly had no impact on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant—Europe’s largest—captured by Russian forces shortly after the February 2022 invasion. Officials overseeing the plant, currently in shutdown mode, said radiation levels remained normal.

The Russia-installed governors of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson—two of the territories Moscow insists Ukraine must cede for the war to end—said emergency energy-saving measures were being implemented.

In Zaporizhzhia, Governor Yevgeny Balitsky said shelling damaged high-voltage infrastructure in the northwest, leaving over 600,000 people in nearly 500 settlements without power. In Kherson, Governor Vladimir Saldo reported that drone debris struck two substations, cutting power to over 100,000 people in 150 towns and villages. Emergency crews are working to restore services.

Ukraine did not immediately comment. Both sides deny targeting civilians, but the war has killed thousands—most of them Ukrainian.

During past winter months, Ukrainian cities endured repeated blackouts from Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. Both countries have blamed each other for attacks on the Zaporizhzhia plant, raising fears of a nuclear accident.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has monitors stationed at all Ukrainian nuclear plants, said last week it had seen no signs of Russia trying to restart the facility or link it to its own power grid.

Stalled Peace Talks and Russian Demands

The blackouts came hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey for a rare round of peace talks. Moscow reiterated it would only agree to end the war if Kyiv gave up substantial territory and accepted military restrictions.

The Russian conditions, laid out in a formal memorandum, include recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four other occupied Ukrainian regions, Ukraine’s military withdrawal from those areas, and neutrality—meaning no NATO membership.

Additional demands include legal protections for Russian speakers, making Russian an official language, and banning the "glorification of Nazism"—a claim Ukraine rejects as baseless.

Two ceasefire options were presented:

1. Full Ukrainian withdrawal from Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

2. Ukraine halting troop movements, ending foreign military aid, lifting martial law, and holding elections within 100 days.

Ukraine dismissed the proposals as unacceptable. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government maintains that no part of its territory will be ceded and that it must retain full military sovereignty. Ukraine’s proposed peace plan includes no recognition of Russian land claims and demands reparations.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv’s delegation, said Ukraine would review the Russian proposals but emphasized that only direct talks between Zelenskyy and President Vladimir Putin could address the core disputes. Ukraine has called for another round of negotiations before the end of June.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed on a prisoner exchange focused on minors and severely wounded individuals, and the return of 12,000 soldiers' bodies. Zelenskyy also presented a list of 400 Ukrainian children allegedly abducted to Russia. The Russian side agreed to examine just 10 cases.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praised the talks and expressed hope of facilitating a meeting between Putin, Zelenskyy, and U.S. President Donald Trump in Turkey. However, no progress was made toward a broader ceasefire.

Russia insists on a lasting resolution, not just a pause in fighting. Ukraine and its allies, including the U.S., continue to push for an immediate ceasefire. Trump has warned that U.S. mediation may be suspended if negotiations fail to move forward.