Russia and Ukraine agree to temporary halt on energy infrastructure strikes
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Russia and Ukraine have agreed to temporarily suspend attacks on key energy infrastructure, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday.
The agreement, which takes effect on March 18 and lasts for 30 days, covers a range of critical facilities, including oil refineries, gas and oil pipelines, nuclear power plants, and fuel storage sites, reported Reuters.
A list of the protected sites, shared on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel, also includes electricity generation and transmission infrastructure, such as power plants, substations, transformers, distributors, and hydroelectric dams.
The Kremlin stated that the moratorium was negotiated between Russia and the United States, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Kyiv had provided U.S. officials with a list of facilities to be included in the agreement.
The initial 30-day agreement can be extended if both sides agree, but any violation by one party would automatically release the other from its obligations, the Kremlin warned.
This temporary suspension of strikes on energy infrastructure comes at a crucial time, as both nations have been targeting each other’s energy facilities in the ongoing conflict, causing widespread disruptions.