Russia, Ukraine exchange blame for violation of partial ceasefire
- 19 March, 10:34
Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday traded accusations over the violation of the fresh cease-fire agreement on halting attacks on energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russia launched more than 40 drones against Ukraine in the hours following the call between Trump and Putin in which Kremlin agreed to a temporary pause in attacks on energy infrastructure.
"Russia is attacking civilian infrastructure and people - right now," Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, said overnight on Telegram. Regional authorities in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy reported that two hospitals were damaged in Russian airstrikes, forcing evacuation of patients and hospital staff. Separately, an elderly man was injured and several houses were damaged in Russian drone attacks on Kyiv region, governor Mykola Kalashnyk said.
Similar accusations were voiced by Moscow, with Russian Defence Ministry stating that its units destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones overnight, 35 of them over the border Kursk region where heavy fighting have been underway recently. However, the ministry did not reveal the number of drones launched by Ukraine. Russia also reported fire caused by a Ukrainian drone attack at an oil depot in southern Krasnodar region. The fire that covered an area of 20 square metres forced evacuation of 30 employees and resulted in the suspension of the work of the industrical facility, the local administration reported in a Telegram post. Russian Telegram channel shared the video of the fire in the industrial area.
Moreover, Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia reported that overnight flights were suspended from airports in Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhnekamsk cities across Russia to "ensure air safety", without specifying the reason for the suspension.
The ceasefire violations reports emerged hours after Zelenskiy on Wednesday endorsed the partial ceasefire that Trump agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call a day earlier. Putin rejected Trump’s proposed 30-day ceasefire along the entire front and signed on to the halt in attacks on energy infrastructure. Zelenskiy said Putin’s refusal reflected his unwillingness to reach peace and his desire to “weaken” Ukraine.
