Russia Says Requests Closed UN Security Council Session on Energy Strikes Moratorium

First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky reiterated that the moratorium had been faithfully observed by the Russian side

© AP Photo/ Bebeto Matthews

UN, April 17. /TASS/. Russia has requested closed-door consultations of the UN Security Council on a moratorium on strikes on energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine for April 17, Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, said.

"We have requested closed consultations of the UN Security Council (which do not allow the presence of Ukraine) for today, April 17, to discuss the results of the 30-day moratorium on strikes on the energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine, proposed on March 18 by US President Donald Trump and faithfully observed by the Russian side," Polyansky wrote on his Telegram channel.

"They will begin approximately at 4:30 p.m. New York time (11:30 p.m. Moscow time). A media approach is scheduled after that."

On March 18, US President Donald Trump put forward a proposal stipulating that the parties to the conflict refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed and immediately gave the Russian military the appropriate command. Later Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine would support the proposal to stop attacks on energy facilities.

However, the Ukrainian army attacked Russian energy facilities from March 18 to April 16 in 15 regions. The Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Zaporozhye, Kursk, Lipetsk, Rostov, Saratov, Smolensk, Tambov, Kherson Regions, Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk Republics, Krasnodar Region were shelled. The strikes were carried out using the UAVs and FPV drones, as well as various artillery, including the HIMARS MLRS. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Kiev has not actually observed the moratorium since March 18, and attempts to attack the Russian energy sector are continuing.