Kyiv has denied Moscow’s claims that it attacked a gas facility in breach of a US-brokered partial ceasefire, and denounced a Kremlin decree ordering Ukrainians living in Russia or occupied territory to obtain official Russian documents or leave.
Ukraine also condemned a massive Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa during a visit by Czech president Petr Pavel, as Kyiv officials prepared for talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday with a US delegation that will also meet Russian officials.
Russia accused Ukrainian forces of blowing up a gas pumping station in its Kursk region and breaking a US-mediated deal under which Kyiv and Moscow agreed not to attack energy infrastructure for 30 days.
“It is evident how much we can trust the words of [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy and other representatives of the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in reference to Ukraine’s president.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was more vehement: “The ceasefire proposed by the US president has already been violated by the Kyiv regime,” she said. “How the American side will deal in future with this crazed terrorist scum … is a big question.”
The Ukrainian military said Russia was waging a “campaign to discredit Ukraine … and mislead the international community“.
“These accusations are groundless. On the contrary, the named [pumping] station has been repeatedly shelled by the Russians themselves,” Kyiv’s armed forces added, accusing Russian troops of “shelling this facility with artillery”.?
Andriy Yermak, Mr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said: “The Russians’ attempts to fool everyone and pretend they are ‘observing a ceasefire’ will not work, nor will the fake news about a gas station being hit. We welcome the idea of tough economic action against Russia if it does not cease fire.”
Mr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that “nothing had changed” since Russian president Vladimir Putin said he agreed to a partial ceasefire on Tuesday, and Ukraine said Russia launched 214 attack drones at its cities on Thursday night.
Odesa was a major target, and city officials said at least three people were injured and an apartment block and a shopping centre were among civilian buildings damaged in waves of strikes during a visit by Mr Pavel, who is a strong ally of Ukraine.
“Odesa … has been resisting Russian aggression since the beginning of the war,” Mr Pavel said. “Aid is being sent from the Czech Republic in the form of combat vehicles, drones, protective vests, mobile [electronic] jammers to protect residents from drone attacks, as well as medical equipment such as ventilators and hospital beds.”
French president Emmanuel Macron said of the Odesa attacks: “Once again last night, Russia showed that it sincerely does not want peace. Full support for the Ukrainian people.”
Mr Macron plans to host another meeting in Paris next Thursday of leaders who are discussing the creation of a “coalition of the willing” to bolster Ukraine’s security and potentially oversee a ceasefire in the event of a peace deal with Russia.
Mr Putin says there is no chance of ending Europe’s biggest war since 1945 unless Ukraine accepts permanent Russian occupation of five regions – including large areas that Moscow’s invasion force does not control – and gives up all hope of joining Nato.
He signed a decree on Thursday giving Ukrainians living in Russia and occupied territory until September 10th to “legalise” their status with Russian documents or leave.
“These systematic deportations and persecutions are part of Russia’s policy of genocide against the Ukrainian people,” said Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi. ”The Kremlin is once again demonstrating that its true goal is to destroy Ukrainian statehood and persecute Ukrainian citizens.”
