The Kremlin dismissed a report by the Financial Times on Wednesday suggesting that Russian and Ukrainian officials are in early talks to reduce attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure.
Speaking with journalists, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted the claim, calling it “fake news.”
“There’s a lot of fake news nowadays, and it has nothing to do with reality,” Interfax quoted Peskov as saying when asked to comment on the report. “Even the most reputable publications don’t shy away from this.”
According to the report, the discussions aim to ease the impact of attacks that have left both countries struggling with power shortages. The newspaper cited a former Kremlin official who claimed that President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to back any formal agreement unless Russian forces achieve control over key Ukrainian territories. The official emphasized that territorial gains remain a top priority.
An unnamed Ukrainian official was also quoted in the report, suggesting that intelligence agencies from both sides have agreed, unofficially, to reduce attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure. This informal understanding is said to have already lowered the frequency of these strikes.
Since the onset of winter last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been vocal about the devastation caused by Russia’s attacks in Ukraine's energy infrastructure, stating that nearly half of Ukraine’s electricity capacity was destroyed during the winter months. With winter approaching, Ukrainian officials have expressed concerns that Russia may ramp up attacks on critical infrastructure, including nuclear sites.
In September, Ukrainian authorities warned that Russia could target nuclear facilities and power distribution networks, particularly those essential to the operation of nuclear plants. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha cited intelligence suggesting these sites might be at risk. Following these claims, global leaders urged restraint, fearing the potential fallout from strikes near nuclear sites.
Amid these tensions, President Zelensky has requested support from Western allies to use NATO-supplied long-range missiles within Russian territory. This proposal has been met with a strong warning from the Kremlin. President Putin cautioned that any Ukrainian strike on Russian soil with NATO-supplied weapons could be seen as an act of war by NATO itself, risking further escalation of the conflict.
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