Mutual Accusations Ignite Tensions as Russia and Ukraine Blame Each Other for Gas Pumping Station Attack

On Friday, Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations regarding an overnight shelling incident at a gas pumping station in the southwestern Kursk region. This incident took place just days after both nations had seemingly agreed to halt attacks on energy facilities.

The Ukrainian military, alongside Russian pro-war bloggers, reported a strike on the inactive Sudzha gas pumping and metering station, with images capturing a significant fire illuminating the night sky.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces rejected claims made by Russian military bloggers that they were behind the assault, describing it as part of a «campaign to discredit Ukraine.»

«Today, the adversary intensified its planned disinformation tactics through another provocation—artillery was directed at this facility [in Sudzha],» the General Staff stated in its message.

«They themselves have repeatedly targeted the [Sudzha] station,» it continued, referencing similar occurrences from the previous summer.

Later that day, Russia’s Defense Ministry alleged that retreating Ukrainian troops had struck the Sudzha gas pumping station, labeling it a “intentional provocation… aimed at undermining the peace efforts of the U.S. President.”

Following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia maintained its natural gas transport to Europe via the Sudzha hub until Ukraine declined to renew a transit agreement at the beginning of 2025.

Sudzha, a town with a population of about 5,000, was the largest Russian settlement captured by Ukrainian forces during a surprise incursion across the border last August. Russia asserted that it had regained full control over Sudzha the previous week.

The reported attack on the Sudzha gas station occurred after Russia and Ukraine reached a preliminary agreement for a 30-day ceasefire regarding attacks on energy infrastructure, leaving doubts about its actual implementation.

On Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused Kyiv of breaching the ceasefire with a strike on an oil depot in the southern Krasnodar region.

Later on Friday, the Kremlin suggested that this attack could jeopardize the ceasefire agreement.

«This information clearly illustrates how much trust one can have in the assurances from Zelensky and his team,» Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented to reporters.

However, he noted that the Russian military would continue to follow the 30-day directive to refrain from targeting Ukraine’s energy facilities, which had been ordered by President Vladimir Putin earlier that week.

«The directive from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is currently in effect, and the Russian Armed Forces are holding back from striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in line with the agreement reached between the United States and Russia.»

Subsequently, Russian law enforcement announced the initiation of a criminal investigation into the assault on the gas pumping station, treating it as an act of terrorism.