Moscow and Kyiv blame each other for the attack on the Russian gas station.
Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for the attack on a gas measuring station located in Russia's Kursk region, just a few hundred meters from their shared border.
According to CNN, the attack on the gas station in Sudzha occurred just days after the US proposed a ceasefire between the two countries on each other's energy infrastructure.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Kyiv had "deliberately attacked" the station, which has been under Ukrainian control since Ukraine's surprise attack on Kursk in August 2024.
Moscow claims Ukrainian forces blew up the facility while "withdrawing from the Kursk region" with the aim of "discrediting the US president's peace initiatives."
On March 22, the Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated its warning that it "has the right to retaliate, including a proportionate response," to what it considers Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Ukraine described those accusations as “baseless” and stated that they were aimed at discrediting Kyiv and misleading the international community.
"In fact, this station has been shelled by the Russians on numerous occasions," the Ukrainian General Staff stated in a Telegram post.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russia attacked the same station with missiles three days ago.
"The Russians' attempts to deceive people and pretend that they are complying with the ceasefire will not work, as will the fake news about airstrikes on gas stations," wrote Andrei Yermak, Chief of Staff to the President of Ukraine, on X on March 21.
The Sudzha gas measuring station was the last route through which Russian natural gas was transported to Europe via Ukraine. Natural gas transit via Sudzha ceased on the morning of January 1, 2025, after Kyiv refused to renew the contract.
The attack on the station came more than a week after Russian forces announced they had recaptured Sudzha, the largest town Ukraine had occupied during its offensive on Kursk. Ukraine's occupation of certain areas of Kursk was seen as its only territorial bargaining chip amid pressure to end the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy targets in Ukraine after a lengthy phone call with President Donald Trump on March 18.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that he would support a halt to attacks on energy targets.
Negotiations aimed at ending the conflict are scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 24, with the US delegation expected to meet with Ukraine first, followed by Russia.
