Russia warns of retaliation over alleged Ukrainian breaches
— Russia reserves the right not to honour a moratorium on strikes against energy facilities should Kyiv breach it. Anything else would be illogical — stated the Kremlin spokesman on Friday. Dmitry Peskov simultaneously accused Ukraine of carrying out attacks on facilities within Russia.
Many of the reports from Russian media or authorities are elements of propaganda. Such information forms part of the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.
What do you need to know?
- Russia accuses Ukraine of violating ceasefire conditions, claiming Ukraine is attacking Russian energy facilities.
- The Kremlin announced that it will not adhere to the moratorium on attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, which could exacerbate the conflict.
- Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, accuses Ukraine of having no control over its armed forces.
Why does Russia reject the moratorium?
The Kremlin accuses Ukraine of breaching the ceasefire conditions by attacking Russian energy facilities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserted that Ukraine does not adhere to the ceasefire agreement and alleges its armed forces supposedly act without control. Consequently, Russia announced that it "reserves the right not to comply" with the moratorium on attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
Russia reserves the right not to implement a moratorium on strikes against energy facilities if Kyiv breaches it - quotes the words of Peskov, according to the Kremlin's information agency TASS.
— It would probably be illogical if we complied and faced attempts to target our energy infrastructure facilities every night — argues Putin's spokesman.
Kyiv rejects Moscow's accusations
Ukraine dismisses Russia's accusations of attacks on Russian energy facilities. The Ukrainian authorities insist that they abide by the ceasefire terms and that the Kremlin's accusations are baseless.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine responded to the Russian allegations, refuting Peskov's assertions. They emphasise that Ukraine does not attack energy facilities on Russian soil.
Negotiations in Riyadh
The ceasefire on attacks against energy facilities emerged from negotiations conducted in Saudi Riyadh under the auspices of the United States. Russia and Ukraine then agreed to a 30-day "energy ceasefire."
The agreement was reached on 25th March after negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in Saudi Arabia. However, Russia claimed that the ceasefire agreement allegedly took effect on 18th March. That is when a phone conversation occurred between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and American President Donald Trump.
At the same time, Russia continues its attacks on civilian facilities in Ukraine. On the night of Thursday to Friday, an attack involving 163 drones was carried out. 89 drones were shot down, reported the Ukrainian Air Forces. The Russian attack impacted the regions of Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhia.
