Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced a barrage of more than 100 drones launched by Russia overnight, hours after Kyiv agreed to a framework for a halt in fighting in the key waterway.
But key questions over implementation remain. The Kremlin said the agreement to halt Black Sea strikes could come into force only after the lifting of restrictions on its agriculture sector.
“Launching such large-scale attacks after ceasefire negotiations is a clear signal to the whole world that Moscow is not going to pursue real peace,“ Zelensky posted on social media.
“There must also be clear pressure and strong action from the world on Russia -- more pressure, more sanctions from the United States -- to stop Russian strikes,“ Zelensky said.
The attack damaged buildings in the central city of Kryvyi Rig -- Zelensky’s hometown -- and in the border region of Sumy, Ukrainian officials said.
Russia is “spreading false and baseless accusations in order to prolong the war”, the Ukrainian General Staff said.
Ukraine fired drones at a “gas storage facility” in the annexed Crimean peninsula as well as a power installation in the Bryansk region, the Russian defence ministry said.
Moscow says the 30-day truce has been in effect since March 18, but the monitoring of it is unclear and both the United States and Russia have issued contradictory statements.
The United States said Moscow and Kyiv had agreed only to “develop measures” towards an energy truce. A communications advisor for Zelensky said late Tuesday that Russian forces had struck Ukrainian energy sites eight times since Putin’s order.
Zelensky and officials in Kyiv have claimed repeatedly that Moscow does in fact not want peace and is seeking only to continue advancing across the front line.
“Now Russia has to demonstrate through concrete actions -- not manipulations -- its real desire to end the war. Otherwise, it will be necessary to increase pressure on Moscow,“ he said.
Germany urged Russia on Wednesday to agree to a ceasefire without conditions.
“It is not a situation for dialogue when a ceasefire is repeatedly tied to concessions and new demands... we must not be deceived by the Russian president,“ Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.
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