Russia and Ukraine have launched air attacks that damaged each other's infrastructure, hours after Vladimir Putin said Russia would stop targeting Ukrainian energy sites.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's targets included hospitals. He said the Russian leader had in effect rejected a comprehensive ceasefire in his call on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump.

Putin told Trump a full ceasefire would only work if Ukraine's allies stopped giving military assistance - a condition Ukraine's European allies have previously rejected.

Officials in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar said that a Ukrainian drone attack sparked a small fire at an oil depot.

Within hours of Putin agreeing to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, Zelensky said there had been "hits, specifically on civilian infrastructure", including a hospital in Sumy.

The region's government posted footage of the destruction, in which smoke can be seen rising from the caved-in hospital wing. Officials have since said that there had been no casualties.

Zelensky said that Russia launched more than 40 drones against Ukraine in the hours following the call between Trump and Putin.

"It is these types of night-time attacks by Russia that destroy our energy sector, our infrastructure, and the normal life of Ukrainians," Zelensky said.

"Today, Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire."

The Ukrainian president also confirmed that a call would take place between him and Trump on Wednesday, but gave no further details.

Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said of the 57 Ukrainian drones it intercepted and destroyed overnight, 35 were over the Kursk border region.

In Belgorod, a Russian region on the border with Ukraine, the governor said the situation "remains difficult". Moscow said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces attempted a ground assault on Belgorod but were pushed back.

The two countries also carried out their latest prisoner exchange on Wednesday, involving the release of 175 prisoners of war each. Zelensky said an additional 22 "severely wounded" Ukrainian soldiers were also freed.

Putin rejected an immediate and full ceasefire in Ukraine, agreeing only to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, following a much-anticipated call with Trump.

The Russian leader declined to sign up to the comprehensive month-long ceasefire that Trump's team recently worked out with Ukrainians in Saudi Arabia.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia and the US will agree either today or on Thursday the dates and attendees of their next meeting.

US talks on Ukraine are due to continue on Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the US envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said.

About 80% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian bombs, Zelensky said last September.

Kyiv has in turn conducted drone and missile strikes deep into Russian territory, on oil and gas facilities.

Source - https://www.bbc.com

20.03.2025 09:11