Russia and Ukraine have launched air attacks that damaged the other’s infrastructure, a few hours after Vladimir Putin said Russia stops targeting Ukrainian energy sites.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s goals included hospitals. He said the Russian chief had indeed rejected a complete ceasefire on Tuesday in his call with US President Donald Trump.
Putin told Trump that a complete ceasefire would only work if Ukraine’s allies ceased to provide military assistance-a condition of the European allies of Ukraine have already rejected.
Managers of the Southern Krasnodar Russian region said that an attack on Ukrainian drones had sparked a small fire in an oil deposit.
In the hours following that Putin agreed to stop attacks against energy infrastructure, Zelensky said that “there were successes, especially on civil infrastructure”, including a hospital in Sumy.
Zelensky said Russia had launched more than 40 drones against Ukraine in the hours that followed the call between Trump and Putin.
“It is these types of night attacks from Russia that destroy our energy sector, our infrastructure and the normal life of the Ukrainians,” said Zelensky.
“Today, Putin has actually rejected the proposal for a complete ceasefire.”
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the 57 Ukrainian drones he intercepted and destroyed overnight, 35 were above the Kursk border region.
In Belgorod, a Russian region on the border with Ukraine, the governor said that the situation “remained difficult”. Moscow said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had tried the ground against Belgorod but had been pushed.
Putin rejected an immediate and complete ceasefire in Ukraine, accepting only to stop attacks against energy infrastructure, following a highly anticipated call with Trump.
The Russian chief refused to register for the complete one month ceasefire that the Trump team recently worked with the Ukrainians in Saudi Arabia.
American discussions on Ukraine is expected to continue on Sunday in Djeddah, Saudi Arabia, the American envoy in the Middle East, said Steve Witkoff.
About 80% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was destroyed by Russian bombs, Zelensky said last September.
Kyiv in turn has led strikes of drones and missiles deeply in Russian territory, on oil and gas facilities.
