Ukraine warns of Russian attacks on civilians

Follow our liveblog about the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities warned Monday that Russia is continuing to attack the country's energy facilities as the international community looks to conflicts in the Middle East.

The warning came after a Russian attack on Sunday on agricultural facilities and energy infrastructure in Kremenchuk (center), on the banks of the Dnieper River, one of the largest against the city since the start of the war in February 2022.

“Moscow intends to attack the energy grid while the world’s attention is on the Middle East,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was quoted as saying by the Spanish news agency Europa Press.

Sybiha accused the Russian side of cynicism throughout the conflict, trying to match “American peace efforts”, and called on Ukraine’s partners to “hit Russian energy hard with severe sanctions”.

Hitting Russian President Vladimir Putin “where it hurts most” will not jeopardize the peace process but rather boost it, he argued.

Sybiha advocated capping oil prices and imposing more restrictions on the so-called “ghost fleet,” which Russia uses to circumvent sanctions imposed on the country’s energy sector.

Russia's war against Ukraine has been one of the hottest topics in international politics over the past three years, but the situation in the Middle East has also caused concern worldwide.

Israel is currently carrying out a large-scale military offensive in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, which has already reached other countries in the region, after suffering an attack by the radical group Hamas in October 2023.

Tel Aviv launched an offensive against Iran on Friday, claiming to target Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, which triggered an Iranian response with the bombing of Israeli cities.