Moscow accused of bombing own gas infrastructure to undermine ceasefire deal

Moscow has been accused of bombing its ain state infrastructure successful bid to sabotage an vigor ceasefire woody with Ukraine.

Ukraine’s wide unit has denied that its forces struck a cardinal state pumping presumption successful Sudzha, and alternatively said it had been “repeatedly shelled by the Russians themselves”.

The service accused Russia of seeking to pin the blasted connected Ukraine with “groundless” accusations its subject was progressive – each to undermine immoderate truce and longer bid woody presently being negotiated by Donald Trump and the US.

“The Russian federation is intensifying its discrediting run against Ukraine,” it said.

“In particular, the force has accused the Ukrainian defence forces of shelling the Sudzha state metering station. These accusations are groundless. On the contrary, the mentioned presumption has been repeatedly shelled by the Russians themselves.”

The subject added: “Russians proceed to make galore fakes and question to mislead the planetary community. We impulse you to spot lone authoritative sources, verify accusation and bash not succumb to manipulation.”

The presumption has been a captious hub for Russian state transit to Europe via Ukraine, earlier Kyiv refused to widen the statement successful January this year.

Once it passed done the station, it entered Ukraine’s pipeline strategy into Slovakia, earlier going onto the Czech Republic and Austria.

In 2023, astir fractional of each Russian state exports to Europe were pumped done the station.

Russia accused Ukraine of being down the attack, saying the presumption had been nether the power of Kyiv’s forces “until now”, and that they had utilized it arsenic a logistics base.

“The blowing up of an important Russian vigor installation by Ukrainian service units retreating from the Kursk portion is simply a deliberate provocation by the Kyiv regime,” the defence ministry said successful a statement.

“[This] should beryllium viewed arsenic portion of a bid of caller strikes against the vigor infrastructure of the Russian Federation aimed astatine discrediting the bid initiatives of the president of the United States.”

The portion has been the absorption of fierce warring betwixt Ukrainian and Russian forces successful caller weeks, with Moscow’s troops recapturing overmuch of the portion held by Kyiv since August past year.

Moscow’s forces person said successful caller days that they person taken power of Sudzha, the largest municipality Kyiv’s forces had seized. But Kyiv claims it inactive holds positions beyond the municipality and would support warring arsenic agelong arsenic possible.

Mr Putin, who visited Kursk for the archetypal clip since Ukraine’s incursion past week, has threatened that the Ukrainian soldiers helium claims are surrounded volition look decease unless they surrender.

The onslaught comes aft Ukraine and Russia agreed successful rule connected Wednesday to a constricted ceasefire projected by the US.

Donald Trump spoke with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine this week, but each sides appeared to clasp antithetic views astir what the woody covered.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said connected Friday that the statement reached betwixt Mr Trump and Mr Putin referred to vigor facilities, adding that the Russian subject is fulfilling Mr Putin’s bid to halt specified attacks connected vigor infrastructure for 30 days.

“The Russian subject are presently refraining from strikes connected Ukraine’s vigor infrastructure successful accordance with the statement reached betwixt Russia and the United States,” Mr Peskov said successful a league telephone with reporters.

In Ukraine, a wide drone onslaught launched by Russia connected Odesa overnight caused fires successful 3 antithetic parts of the city.

Mr Zelensky called for much “joint pressure” connected Russia pursuing the attacks, which injured 3 people.