Russia says told US about Ukrainian strikes on energy sites

KYIV: Russia said Tuesday that it had complained to the United States about Ukrainian strikes on its energy sites, hours after Kyiv reported a Russian attack had left tens of thousands without power.

Each side has accused the other of breaking a supposed deal to stop firing on energy sites, though a formal agreement has not been put in place and what commitments each side has undertaken remain unclear.

Following separate meetings with US officials, the White House said both Ukraine and Russia had “agreed to develop measures for implementing” an “agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed allegations of Ukrainian “violations” in a private meeting of top security officials on Tuesday.

“We passed a list of violations… to the US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the meeting.

45,000 in Ukraine without electricity after Russian strikes: Ukraine FM

“I have passed this list to the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,” he added.

Russia’s defence ministry earlier accused Kyiv of striking Russian energy sites in the Russian region of Belgorod and the partially Moscow-controlled Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia.

The allegations come hours after Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said tens of thousands were left without power in the southern Kherson region by a Russian strike.

Local authorities later said power supplies had been restored.

Russia has launched systematic aerial attacks on Ukrainian power plants and grid since invading in February 2022.

Putin last month rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire.

Sybiga also said Kyiv and Washington were holding fresh talks on a minerals agreement that would give the United States access to Ukrainian natural resources in return for more support.

The two countries had planned to sign a deal in February on extracting Ukraine’s strategically important minerals, until a spectacular televised White House clash between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky derailed the agreement.

Trump on Sunday warned Zelensky he would have “big problems” if Kyiv rejected the latest US proposal, details of which have not been published by either side.