Russia, Ukraine trade accusations of energy infrastructure attacks

MOSCOW

Russia and Ukraine on Sunday traded accusations of air attacks, each claiming to have hit the opponent's energy infrastructure.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it carried out strikes on Ukrainian airfields, drone assembly workshops, and energy infrastructure used in the interests of Ukraine's armed forces.

The Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform, for its part, reported that Kyiv's drone attack set fire to an oil refinery and hit an oil pipeline, both located in Russia's Leningrad region.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of providing intelligence data to Iran, claiming that as a result, some 50 objects were hit in Israel. Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of sharing intelligence with Tehran.

Zelenskyy also offered help in unblocking the Strait of Hormuz, saying Ukraine faced similar problems in the Black Sea and solved them by sending naval drones to accompany vessels.

He also complained that the ongoing Iran war directly affects Ukraine, voicing concern over possible problems with arms deliveries, with fears that the US will not have enough weapons and ammunition to help Ukraine in its war with Russia, now in its fifth year.

Separately, head of Ukraine's presidential office Kyrylo Budanov said "partners" asked Ukraine to stop attacking Russia's oil and gas infrastructure due to the global energy crisis. He neither said who made the request nor whether Kyiv agreed to change its tactics.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. Iran has also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.