Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure in the city of Kherson on March 27, violating the terms of the U.S.-brokered limited ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The Russian attack killed two people and injured at least five others, according to the State Emergency Service.
Russia and Ukraine announced a partial ceasefire on strikes against energy facilities following technical consultations with the U.S. in Riyadh earlier this week.
Moscow has claimed that its side of the energy ceasefire has been in effect since March 18, when Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly declared a halt on such attacks following a call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Russian troops shelled downtown Kherson with artillery for more than an hour, said Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. The attack damaged the railway station, apartment buildings as well as the power grid.
“The city of Kherson is a civilian city, it is not a battlefield. I believe that there should be a reaction from the United States, in actions,” Zelensky said at a press conference in Paris.
The president tasked Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to pass on to the American side evidence of Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s energy sector.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi had said that there have been no strikes on either Russian or Ukrainian energy facilities since a partial ceasefire was reportedly agreed upon on March 25.
Throughout the full-scale war, Russia has consistently used targeted missile and drone strikes to knock out Ukraine’s power grid, while Kyiv has hit oil and gas facilities inside Russian territory with long-range drones.
Ukraine and the U.S. previously agreed on a full 30-day truce during their talks in Jeddah on March 11. Russia had rejected this proposal unless it included conditions undermining Kyiv’s ability to defend itself, such as a full halt on foreign military aid.
‘With or without the US’ — France, UK harden line over Ukraine at ‘Coalition of the Willing’ summit
Several European countries agreed to send troops to Ukraine as part of a “reassurance force” in case of the ceasefire with Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on March 27 at a summit of European leaders in Paris, which was also attended by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
