The Ukrainian military allegedly attacked an energy site deep inside Russia after it announced a pause on long-range strikes
The Ukrainian military has attacked an oil transfer facility in Russia’s Krasnodar Region that services an international pipeline operation partially owned by American investors, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone for more than two hours on Tuesday, with the two leaders announcing progress on the path towards a truce in the Ukraine conflict. Moscow agreed to suspend attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure for 30 days, with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky publicly endorsing the partial ceasefire.
The overnight attack involved three kamikaze drones directed against a station near the village of Kavkazskaya, the ministry reported. The facility is used to transfer crude from rail-transported tanks to a pipeline operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), an international firm that counts US giants Chevron and Mobil among its partners.
The attack caused damage to an on-site oil reservoir and a fire, which is yet to be doused, the Defense Ministry reported.
“Clearly, this was a premeditated provocation by the Kiev regime aimed at derailing the US president’s peace initiative,” the Russian military claimed.
Russia had seven kamikaze drones in flight towards military targets in Ukraine’s Nikolayev Region when Putin ordered the suspension of such operations following his call with Trump, the statement said. Russian forces utilized anti-aircraft systems and a fighter jet to disable them all, it added.
The incident demonstrates a lack of reciprocity from Kiev on the deescalation initiative, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later in the day. Russian officials “are taking a good look at the Kiev regime” to determine whether it is truly supporting Trump and Putin in seeking peace, he added.
