The Russian Defense Ministry has accused Ukraine of launching a series of drone attacks on energy infrastructure in Russia’s Bryansk, Rostov, and Voronezh regions, as well as the annexed territory of Crimea, over the past 24 hours. According to the ministry, these strikes occurred despite an agreement brokered by the United States, which was intended to halt such attacks for 30 days starting March 18, 2025.
In an official statement released on Saturday, the ministry detailed the alleged assaults: Ukrainian forces deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to target critical energy facilities, resulting in damage to natural gas pipelines and widespread power outages in affected areas. The statement further claimed that the attacks contradict assurances made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a March 18 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since Zelenskyy’s commitment to suspend attacks on energy infrastructure, Russia has continued to face such aggression, the ministry asserted (Russian Ministry of Defense, 2025).
The alleged ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks stems from a diplomatic exchange on March 18, 2025, when Presidents Trump and Putin reportedly discussed de-escalation measures amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to a Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, the leaders agreed that both Russia and Ukraine would refrain from targeting oil refineries, energy pipelines, and other critical facilities for a 30-day period to stabilize the situation. “This was a mutual understanding to reduce economic and civilian impact,” Peskov said according to China Daily.
The US State Department confirmed the talks but provided limited details. President Trump engaged with President Putin to explore pathways to reduce hostilities, a spokesperson said in a March 20 press briefing, declining to elaborate on specific terms (US Department of State, 2025). Ukrainian officials, however, have not publicly confirmed Zelenskyy’s alleged pledge to halt such strikes.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the drone strikes damaged key energy assets, including a natural gas pipeline in Rostov, leading to temporary disruptions in supply. In Bryansk, local authorities reported power outages affecting thousands of residents. “The situation is under control, but repairs will take time,” Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz stated on Telegram, as quoted by Reuters. Similar incidents were reported in Voronezh and Crimea, though independent verification of the extent of the damage remains limited due to restricted access for international observers.
Russia’s state-owned energy company, Gazprom, acknowledged disruptions but did not specify the cause. “We are working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible,” a Gazprom spokesperson said according to RIA.
As of April 6, 2025, Ukrainian officials have not issued an official response to the Russian allegations. However, a senior Ukrainian military source, speaking anonymously to The Kyiv Independent, denied that Kyiv had violated any agreement, the source said, neither confirming nor denying the specific strikes.
Fact-checking the Russian claims is challenging due to the lack of independent on-the-ground reporting. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank, noted in its April 5 update that Russia has frequently accused Ukraine of targeting civilian infrastructure without providing verifiable evidence. “While drone attacks have been a feature of this conflict, specific claims about timing and targets require corroboration,” the ISW report stated (Institute for the Study of War, 2025).
The alleged attacks come amid heightened tensions following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing Russo-Ukraine war in eastern Ukraine, which escalated in February 2022. Energy infrastructure has been a recurring target for both sides. In 2024 alone, Ukraine reported over 50 Russian strikes on its power grid, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy (Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, 2024). Conversely, Russia has claimed multiple Ukrainian drone incursions into its territory, though many lack independent confirmation.
Analysts suggest the latest accusations may serve a dual purpose. “Russia could be using these claims to pressure the US and Ukraine diplomatically while justifying potential retaliatory actions,” said Dr. Maria Ivanova, a Russian security expert at the University of Oxford, in an interview with media.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian advocates argue that Russia’s narrative aims to deflect from its own violations.
