Russia Rejects New Zelensky Offer Of ‘Energy Ceasefire’ As Grid Repair Woes Worsen

Russia has rejected a new Zelensky proposal for an “energy ceasefire.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has explained that Russia wants a “long-term peace” and not a just a temporary ceasefire. Zelensky has offered a mutual halt to strikes on energy infrastructure if Russia agreed, mirroring something which had only briefly been in effect at the start of this year.

This ‘offer’ comes at a moment that Ukraine is suffering perhaps its worst energy crisis of the war, with lengthy blackouts not just being experienced in the country’s east and south – but long outages in and around the capital as well.

Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Ukrainian Energy Research Center, has in recent comments confirmed that resources for repairing damaged energy facilities have almost run out. 

“Now I don’t see the resources from either Ukrenergo, the generating or distribution companies to purchase the equipment they already need and will need in two or three months,” he said in televised remarks.

“Ukraine may run out of equipment to restore its energy system if Russia continues to launch attacks,” he has explained.

The new proposal for a fresh energy ceasefire comes as Moscow is still livid at recent attacks on tankers transporting Russian oil. And now a cargo vessel carrying grain from Crimea has been detained at Odessa port:

Ukrainian security officials have detained a cargo vessel in the port of Odesa that authorities say is part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said Wednesday.

The ship, whose name was not disclosed, arrived under the flag of an African country to load a shipment of steel pipes. The captain and 16 crew members holding passports from unspecified Middle Eastern countries were on board at the time of the seizure.

According to the SBU, the vessel illegally transported nearly 7,000 tons of Russian grain from annexed Crimea to North Africa in January 2021.

The SBU claims it found evidence of “illegal operations in ports on temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory” after a search of the ship.

Apparently Ukrainian authorities intend to seize the ship’s cargo altogether, and transfer them Ukraine’s Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), a government entity which deals with property linked to corruption or other crimes. So naturally, Moscow is not going to look kindly on fresh offers to mutually stop attacks on energy infrastructure.