KYIV reported on Tuesday, April 1, that Russian strikes left tens of thousands of people in southern Ukraine without power, despite the Kremlin’s agreement that it was not targeting the country’s energy infrastructure.
This was revealed by the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, who told a news conference that Russia had continued targeting energy infrastructure despite agreeing to a temporary halt on strikes against Ukrainian energy sites.
The ICIR reported that Russia had dismissed a joint United States-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire but claims to have agreed to a temporary halt on strikes against Ukrainian energy sites.
“This morning, another Russian strike damaged a power facility in Kherson, leaving 45,000 residents without electricity,” Sybiga said.
According to the minister, after the talks in Riyadh, Russia targeted energy facilities in Kharkiv, the Poltava region, and Kherson.
He added that in the early hours of Tuesday, another energy facility in the city was attacked, leaving 45,000 residents without electricity.
“After Riyadh, one of the agreements with the United States was to refrain from striking energy infrastructure. At the same time, Russia continues to violate this agreement,”
Since invading in February 2022, Russia has carried out systematic aerial attacks on Ukraine.
Moscow has also accused Kyiv of targeting Russian energy sites and reported fresh attacks on Tuesday in Russia’s Belgorod region and the partially Moscow-controlled Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia.
Sybiga also said that Kyiv and Washington were engaging in new discussions on a minerals agreement, which would grant the United States access to Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for increased support.
“It is always important to strengthen the presence of American business in Ukraine, so this process is ongoing, and we will work with our American colleagues to reach a mutually acceptable text for signing,” he added.
The ICIR reported that the two countries were set to sign an agreement last month on extracting Ukraine’s strategically vital minerals, but the deal was derailed by a dramatic televised confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, Trump warned Zelensky on Sunday, March 30, that Kyiv would face “big problems” if it rejected the latest US proposal, the details of which have not been disclosed by either side.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.