Kyiv and Moscow negotiating mutual cessation of strikes on energy facilities - FT

Ukraine and russia are negotiating a mutual cessation of airstrikes on energy infrastructure facilities.

This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources.

A Ukrainian official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, reported a decrease in the frequency of energy strikes in recent weeks.

It is noted that the agreement on the cessation of strikes on energy facilities is beneficial to both countries.

Journalists’ sources familiar with the matter said that Ukraine sought to resume negotiations with the mediation of Qatar, as the parties were close to an agreement in August, but everything broke down due to the invasion of the Kursk Oblast by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The deal would also reportedly mark the most significant de-escalation of the war since putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

A high-ranking Ukrainian official told the publication that the parties have already reduced energy strikes in recent weeks, because the intelligence services of the countries had previously agreed on this.

The publication reminds that russia has already destroyed half of all energy capacities of Ukraine, so with the onset of winter, the situation may worsen significantly if the strikes continue. Currently, Kyiv relies on its nuclear energy, as well as on exports from European countries.

Earlier, Ukraine and russia recognized that the cessation of mutual attacks on energy and oil refineries is in their mutual interests.

However, according to a former high-ranking official of the Kremlin, familiar with the negotiations, putin is unlikely to agree to such an agreement until the russian armed forces push the Armed Forces of Ukraine out of the territory of the Kursk Oblast, the publication writes.

"While [Ukrainians] are trampling the land of Kursk, putin will hit Zelenskyy's energy infrastructure," he said.

In turn, sources in the Ukrainian government report that Kyiv will continue to strike russian oil refining facilities in order to put pressure on Moscow during the negotiations. At the moment, Kyiv has no leverage to persuade Moscow to negotiate, except to strike at energy and oil industry facilities on the territory of the russian federation.

Journalists write that the previous round of negotiations was disrupted by the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the Kursk Oblast and this happened when officials began planning a personal meeting in Doha.

Qatar became a mediator in these negotiations after the Peace Summit was held in June, to which the russian federation was not invited.

The Kremlin refused to comment on this situation. In turn, the Office of the President of Ukraine responded to the request about several attempts to conclude a similar agreement, but all of them failed. In turn, four high-ranking Ukrainian officials told the publication that last fall Kyiv and Moscow reached a so-called "tacit agreement" not to strike each other's energy facilities.

Then russia refused to strike Ukrainian energy, unlike in the winter of 2022-23.

Journalists noted that russian dictator putin may not agree to such conditions while Ukrainian forces are in the territory of the Kursk Oblast. In addition, Ukraine currently has no intention of stopping attacks on oil refining facilities on the territory of the russian federation.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, 15 regions were affected by the massive russian attack, and the energy infrastructure was once again the target of russian terrorists.

In particular, as a result of the morning mass shelling of the russian federation in the Kyiv Region, infrastructure facilities and houses were damaged, and one person was injured.

Also, on the morning of August 26, the aggressor state of russia damaged an infrastructure facility in Lutsk, Volyn Region. It became known about 1 person killed as a result of the attack.

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