Zelensky: Kherson Energy Strike Violates US-Brokered Truce

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of violating a truce agreement on energy strikes after Russian artillery damaged energy infrastructure in the front-line city of Kherson on Thursday. This incident occurred two days after the United States announced separate agreements with Kyiv and Moscow to pause attacks in the Black Sea and against each other's energy installations, marking the first such deal since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.

A Broken Truce?

Zelenskiy, speaking in Paris after a summit of Ukraine's allies, stated, "Two days ago, there was a night when there were no strikes on the energy sector, today energy infrastructure in the city of Kherson was damaged by Russian artillery." He urged the United States to respond with actions to the violation of the truce.

According to Zelenskiy, Ukraine will continue to gather evidence of Russian violations and submit it to the United States, as they had promised a response to any breaches. Meanwhile, Kherson regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that efforts were underway to restore power to consumers affected by the Russian shelling.

Russia's Counter-Accusations

Moscow, on Wednesday, accused Kyiv of using drones to attack energy facilities in Russia's Kursk and Bryansk regions, as well as in the occupied Crimean peninsula. However, the Ukrainian military denied these accusations, calling them "fakes" aimed at prolonging the war and making baseless claims against Ukraine.

Russia, which initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls approximately 20% of the country, asserts that it has adhered to an energy strike truce since March 18. Conversely, Ukraine maintains that Russia has attacked eight Ukrainian energy facilities since that date.

Zelenskiy's Stance on U.S. Policy

During his visit to Paris, Zelenskiy also expressed his belief that the Trump administration's stance towards Russia should have been more robust. He emphasized Ukraine's need for Washington's support in strengthening its position during negotiations.