Ukraine and Russia dispute terms and violations of a newly announced ceasefire as U.S.-brokered negotiations remain in limbo.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Less than a day after both Ukraine and Russia agreed to a partial ceasefire deal announced in Saudi Arabia, fresh allegations emerged Wednesday accusing both sides of breaking the terms. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine launched drone attacks overnight on several targets, including the Glebovskoye underground gas storage facility in Crimea and an energy site in the Kursk region, resulting in power outages for approximately 4,000 residents. The ministry claimed the actions violated the ceasefire terms reached with U.S. backing on March 24.

The Kremlin statement said, “By continuing to deliver damage to Russia’s civilian energy infrastructure, the Kiev regime is, in fact, doing everything to disrupt the Russian-American agreements on implementing step-by-step measures to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.”

Russian officials insisted the Black Sea ceasefire would not go into effect until Washington lifts specific sanctions targeting Russia’s food and fertilizer sectors. According to the terms described by Moscow, the naval arrangement includes refraining from using force, ensuring safe maritime passage, and prohibiting the use of commercial vessels for military purposes, with enforcement mechanisms relying on inspections.

Ukrainian officials immediately rejected Russia’s version of the agreement, accusing the Kremlin of misrepresenting the terms and lying about the timeline of implementation. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Tuesday night, “The Kremlin is lying again, claiming that the Black Sea ceasefire supposedly depends on sanctions and that the energy ceasefire supposedly began on 18 March. Moscow always lies.”

Zelensky added, “It depends on the world and on all those who really need peace whether Russia will be allowed to lie again.”

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who participated in the Riyadh talks, emphasized the need for “technical consultations” to define implementation and verification procedures. Ukrainian military authorities further announced that Russian drone attacks overnight struck multiple locations, including Kryvyi Rih and Sumy, adding that Russia itself was violating the same ceasefire agreements it claims to uphold.

The Kremlin’s insistence on sanction relief includes demands that its banks involved in trade be fully reconnected to the SWIFT international payment system. While both nations acknowledged U.S. involvement in securing the ceasefire agreement, conflicting interpretations and continued military activity have cast doubt on the truce’s durability.