Support The Moscow Times!

Ukraine, Russia Complain to U.S. About Strikes on Energy Sites

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Both Ukraine and Russia complained to the United States about striking each other's energy sites on Tuesday, with Kyiv calling on Washington to strengthen sanctions on Moscow for "violating" agreements made in Saudi Arabia.

Each side has accused the other of breaking a supposed deal to stop firing on energy sites, though a formal agreement has not been put in place and what commitments each side has undertaken remain unclear.

Following separate meetings with U.S. officials, the White House said both Ukraine and Russia had "agreed to develop measures for implementing" an "agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, was in touch with U.S. officials.

"We have passed on all the necessary information about Russian violations in the energy sector," Zelensky said in his daily evening address.

He earlier called on Washington to strengthen sanctions on Russia as a response.

"I believe we have come to the point of increasing the sanctions impact, because I believe that the Russians are violating what they have promised America. At least what America has told us, and publicly," Zelensky said at a press conference in Kyiv.

"And we very much hope that President [Donald] Trump has all these appropriate tools to increase the sanctions pressure on the Russian side."

He said Ukraine remains "ready" for an unconditional ceasefire with Russia.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier discussed allegations of Ukrainian "violations" in a private meeting of top security officials on Tuesday.

Moscow also said it had handed its complaints to Washington.

'We passed a list'

"We passed a list of violations... to the U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the meeting.

"I have passed this list to the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio," he added.

Russia's Defense Ministry earlier accused Kyiv of striking Russian energy sites in the Russian region of Belgorod and the partially Moscow-controlled Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia.

The allegations come hours after Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said tens of thousands were left without power in the southern Kherson region by a Russian strike.

Local authorities later said power supplies had been restored.

Russia has launched systematic aerial attacks on Ukrainian power plants and grid since invading in February 2022.

Putin last month rejected a joint U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire.

Sybiha also said Kyiv and Washington were holding fresh talks on a minerals agreement that would give the United States access to Ukrainian natural resources in return for more support.

The two countries had planned to sign a deal in February on extracting Ukraine's strategically important minerals, until a spectacular televised White House clash between Trump and Zelensky derailed the agreement.

Trump on Sunday warned Zelensky he would have "big problems" if Kyiv rejected the latest US proposal, details of which have not been published by either side.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more