Peskov: Russia Reserves the Right to Withdraw From Energy Strike Moratorium

Russia may withdraw from the agreed 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure if it continues to be violated by Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, Orda.kz reports, citing RIA Novosti.

Russia reserves the right not to comply with the moratorium if it is constantly violated by Kyiv. <...> If Ukraine joined the moratorium and issued the appropriate orders to its armed forces, they are clearly not being followed,he said. 

Peskov also claimed that the situation in Ukraine is “getting out of control,” and that discussions are underway about the possible introduction of external administration under the leadership of the United Nations.

Russia and Ukraine — with U.S. mediation — have agreed to a 30-day pause in attacks on energy infrastructure. 

Russia considers the moratorium to be in effect from March 18, while Ukraine maintains it began on March 25.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has accused Ukraine of violating the moratorium. Specifically, Russia alleged that Ukrainian forces targeted the Sudzha gas metering station in the Kursk region with HIMARS missiles, causing significant damage and a major fire.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have denied allegations of violation. 

In an official statement, they said:

The Russian Ministry of Defense continues to fabricate reports of alleged Ukrainian strikes on energy facilities in the Russian Federation and in territories it has occupied. We emphasize that Ukraine’s Defense Forces strictly comply with the agreements reached with partners regarding the cessation of strikes on energy facilities. Strikes are carried out exclusively on military targets of the Russian occupying army. At the same time, specific violations of these agreements by the Russian army have been documented — in particular, just in the past 24 hours, Russian strikes have damaged energy facilities in Kherson and Poltava regions. We expect a response from our partners.