The Trump administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies as it called on Moscow to agree to an immediate ceasefire in the war with Ukraine.

MOSCOW/KYIV/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States hit Russia's major oil companies with sanctions on Wednesday and accused the Russians of a lack of commitment toward ending the war in Ukraine, as Moscow conducted a major training exercise involving nuclear arms.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed "very important" new U.S. and European Union energy sanctions on Russia on Thursday, but said more pressure would be needed on Moscow to secure a ceasefire in the war.

As a Ukrainian, I’ve seen firsthand how Russia has learned to emulate American soft power for authoritarian ends.

Russia conducted the drills for all three forces to rehearse their readiness and command structure as the Ukraine war rages on

Ukraine's defense ministry said it continues to hit Russia's industries, "weakening the offensive potential of the aggressor state."

The Polish foreign minister said he could not guarantee that Russian President Vladimir Putin's plane would not be forced to land.

Nor is Russia able to reroute its electrons from the export market to domestic consumption. Electricity exports to China have all but collapsed (down over 70% from 2024 levels). The system operator now openly floats importing power from China to keep the lights on in the east while new plants and lines are built.