Officials reported that Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s gas production facilities on Tuesday after Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Moscow’s two-day ceasefire offer. 5 people were killed and 37 were injured in the strikes.
Russian forces targeted Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz, striking gas production facilities in the Poltava and Kharkiv regions. According to CEO Serhiy Koretskyi, three Naftogaz employees and two emergency service rescuers were killed, while 37 people were wounded. He also said the facilities incurred significant damage and production losses in the attack.
The attacks took place after Russia declared a unilateral ceasefire on May 8-9 ahead of Moscow’s annual World War II Victory Day celebrations.
Zelenskyy condemned the attack, criticising Russia’s “cynicism”.
“It is utter cynicism to ask for a ceasefire in order to hold propaganda celebrations while carrying out such missile and drone strikes every single day leading up to it,” he said.
Zelenskyy had rejected Russia’s two-day truce, countering it with his own ceasefire proposal beginning on the night of May 5-6 and announcing Ukraine would “act symmetrically from the specified moment”. The President has insisted Ukraine needs a long-standing ceasefire.
Even as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his proposal for a ceasefire, residents of Kyiv remained sceptical.
“There will be a provocation from Russia. They will try to make it look as if the Ukrainians did something,” Vira Kolesnyk, a 65-year-old resident, told Reuters.
“(Putin) never keeps his word and will not keep it now,” she said.
Zelenskyy reported that Russian forces also attacked critical infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk region, leaving three people injured and thousands of families without electricity.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed the death of two rescue workers during a follow-up strike by Russia after emergency crews arrived to put out the fire sparked by the initial attacks in the central Poltava region. Ukrainian officials accused Russia of constantly carrying out such “double-tap” attacks on rescue workers. According to Klymenko, 23 rescue workers were injured.
“These are deliberate attacks on those who save lives,” he said.
The governor of Poltava said the attack cut gas supply to almost 3,500 customers.
According to Russian news agencies, Moscow’s Defence Ministry justified the strikes as retaliation for Ukraine’s alleged attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure.
