Russia Accuses Ukraine of Escalating Energy Attacks Despite US-Brokered Moratorium
Russia claims Ukraine is escalating strikes on its energy infrastructure despite a US-brokered moratorium, while Ukraine denies targeting energy facilities, stating it only strikes military sites. A deadly Russian missile attack in Kryvyi Rih further fueled the dispute amid ongoing allegations of ceasefire violations.
Published on April 6, 2025
On April 5, 2025, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that Ukraine was intensifying its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The ministry reported 14 separate attacks in the past 24 hours targeting regions such as Bryansk, Belgorod, Smolensk, Lipetsk, and Voronezh, as well as Russian-controlled areas in Luhansk and Kherson. This comes amid a 30-day moratorium on energy infrastructure attacks brokered by the United States in March 2025. Ukrainian officials, however, have dismissed these allegations as "fake" and "disinformation," insisting that their operations target only military sites and that energy facility strikes were halted on March 18.
In related developments, a Russian strike in Kryvyi Rih on April 4, 2025, reportedly killed at least 19 civilians, including nine children, although Moscow maintained it was aimed at a military gathering. As both sides continue to accuse each other of breaching the ceasefire deal, the international community watches closely while diplomatic efforts persist to de-escalate the conflict.