Russia claims adherence to energy strike truce after Trump-Putin call while accusing Ukraine of violations

Russia maintains it is upholding the recently negotiated pause on strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure while simultaneously accusing Kyiv of “failing to reciprocate”, according to statements from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

This follows an agreement brokered during a recent phone conversation between Putin and US President Donald Trump on 18 March. Trump reportedly proposed that both Ukraine and Russia refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure for a 30-day period.

However, on the night of 19 March, Russia launched a large-scale attack against Ukraine that involved 145 Iranian-designed Shahed drones, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and four S-300 surface-to-air missiles, targeting multiple Ukrainian oblasts. The strikes injured three civilians in Donetsk Oblast and damaged civilian and energy infrastructure, including a hospital in Sumy, northern Ukraine.

“There have been no other commands from the president,” Peskov stated, emphasizing that Russian forces continue to follow Vladimir Putin’s order to halt attacks on energy facilities, according to Russian news outlet RBC.

The Kremlin spokesperson claimed the information about Putin’s directive was “widely available,” yet maintained that Ukrainian forces had nonetheless targeted a Russian energy facility in Krasnodar Krai on 19 March that handles oil transshipment in the Kavkazskaya village. The fire, which affected a pipeline between storage tanks, did not cause injuries, though 30 employees were evacuated.

This action, according to Peskov, “contradicts peace efforts.”

Ukraine targets Russian energy sites, particularly oil facilities to disrupt Russian military logistics by reducing its fuel supply for equipment and jets. Russia’s economy also heavily relies on its oil and gas sector, so Ukraine aims to weaken Russia’s financial ability to fund its military operations.

Russian defense officials also asserted they have even gone so far as to intercept seven of its own drones in the air after President Putin ordered a temporary ceasefire following the US-Russia negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenged Russia’s narrative, stating that “Putin’s words greatly diverge from reality.”

“The Russians said they immediately ordered a cessation of strikes […], but right now air raid sirens are sounding in Ukraine,” Zelensky told journalists.

While not specifying locations, Zelenskyy confirmed that energy facilities were among the targets in recent Russian attacks at Ukraine. Regional authorities reported specific incidents, including damage to two medical facilities in Sumy Oblast and a warehouse in Poltava Oblast from drone debris.

The Ukrainian President added that he believes direct communication with President Trump would be necessary to clarify “the details of what the Russians proposed to the Americans, or what the Americans proposed to the Russians.”

Kremlin spokesperson Peskov also noted that the topic of Western military supplies to Ukraine was discussed during the Putin-Trump phone conversation and would “rank high on the agenda of any contacts” moving forward.

While Putin agreed to Trump’s proposal for a 30-day pause in strikes on energy infrastructure, he also demanded that Ukraine halt its military mobilization and rearmament.

Pro-Kremlin figures expressed confidence that Putin would successfully navigate the talks, praising his ability to manipulate Trump, as the Kremlin seeks to separate US-Russia relations from its ongoing campaign to occupy more of Ukraine.