Russia and Ukraine trade energy strikes, as NATO downs drone in Lithuania
Russia and Ukraine have continued to carry out attacks on each other's energy infrastructure. (Reuters: Valentyn Ogirenko)
Ukraine and Russia are continuing to carry out strikes on each other's energy infrastructure.
It comes after US President Donald Trump had declared both sides would refrain from targeting energy-related sites.Β
Meanwhile, a NATO plane has shot down a suspected Russian drone over Lithuanian airspace.
Russia has hit petrol stations in Kyiv and Ukraine has struck a Russian oil refinery, as the warring sides carried on with strikes on each other's energy targets despite an announcement by US President Donald Trump that they had agreed to stop.
Moscow launched 200 drones at Ukraine's capital and other cities in overnight attacks on Tuesday, local time, killing two people.Β
In addition to petrol stations in Kyiv, Russia struck energy and port infrastructure in other regions, Ukrainian officials said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine hit a Russian oil refinery in Syzran in Russia's Samara region on the Volga River, and also drone production facilities in the Taganrog and Oryol regions, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Russia is exploiting Ukraine's shortage of interceptors by launching ballistic missiles at major cities. (Reuters: Gleb Garanich)
The Samara governor said an industrial facility was hit there without identifying it. The Taganrog governor said a warehouse of e-commerce firm Ozon was struck there.
"Russia continues to attack our energy sector, regular logistics and critical infrastructure. And our responses to them for this are tangible," Mr Zelenskyy said on the Telegram app.
Mr Trump said on Monday, local time, that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure, which he said was the main factor in a global fuel shortage that has driven diesel prices in the United States to record highs.
Donald Trump is trying to limit the damage to global energy supplies as Iran and its proxies pressure key shipping routes. (Reuters: Cathal McNaughton)
Mr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was ready to halt such strikes, but required credible guarantees from its partners that Russia would also stop.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Mr Trump's suggestion was a "very good idea", but that it would take more to bring down global fuel prices.
"It is necessary to ensure safe commercial shipping and navigation here, including for oil tankers," Mr Peskov said, adding that Russia would stay in touch with the US about Mr Trump's proposal.
The renewed strikes between the two sides came as a NATO fighter jet shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace that "most probably" came from Russia, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said.
The drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Russian ally Belarus after midnight and was shot down near the southern village of Pratkunai not far from the city of Kaunas, the Lithuanian national crisis management centre said.
"Last night, again, the Italian pilots have intervened and they have shot down a threat that most probably came from Russia", Mr Crosetto told reporters at Siauliai Air Base, where Italian fighters are based as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission.
"The presence of Italian aircraft here is the clear demonstration of the value of the Atlantic alliance for Italy and what it means to be an ally", he said after meeting crews with Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas.
Debris of what, according to the Lithuanian national crisis management centre, was a drone shot down by a NATO fighter jet. (Lithuanian Army via Reuters)
Russia did not immediately comment on the incident.
Mr Kaunas told reporters that the drone had probably not carried explosives, and the debris of the drone would be examined.
"Then we will be able to say clearly, whether this is a Russian drone and it's possibly a provocation, or whether it is another country's drone", he said.
Ukrainian drones have repeatedly entered NATO airspace in the Baltic region in recent months. Kyiv says they were steered off course by Russian signal jamming.
Denmark's foreign minister said the flares came within metres of the helicopters.Β (Supplied: Defence Command Denmark)
Meanwhile, Russia has accused Danish military helicopters of making dangerous manoeuvres near its warships in the Baltic Sea and handed an official note to Copenhagen complaining about such incidents, according Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Russia's RIA state news agency reports.
Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus told Reuters no warning or radio contact was made before a Russian frigate fired the flares.
At the same time, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday that the spread of the Ukraine-Russia war to the Black Sea and threatening the safety of Turkish citizens was unacceptable, adding that attacks in vessels in the region were harming navigational safety.
Speaking at a press conference alongside his counterpart in Azerbaijan's Baku, Mr Fidan said TΓΌrkiye had intensified its efforts to find a solution to the war through an agreement, without elaborating.
Russian forces hit a cargo ship and a ferry carrying military supplies in Ukraine's port of Chornomorsk, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday.
