The Russian army was forced to shoot down its own unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched towards Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin ordered a temporary halt to attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The development was officially announced by the Russian Ministry of Defence.
In a statement from the ministry, it was revealed that at the time of the order, Russian forces had launched seven attack drones aimed at energy facilities in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region. Following Putin’s decision to suspend the attacks for 30 days, Russian Air Defence Forces were instructed to neutralise these UAVs. As a result, six drones were shot down using Pantsir anti-aircraft missile systems, while one was taken down by a Russian Air Force fighter jet.
Attacks Halted Following Putin-Trump Talks
The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the decision to suspend the attacks was made after a phone conversation between Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump. The Kremlin announced that Putin issued the order to temporarily halt attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure following the discussions.
Ukraine Allegedly Launches Retaliatory Strike
The statement also reported that just hours after the agreement, Ukraine launched three drone attacks on the Kavkazskaya energy station in Russia’s Krasnodar region. It was stated that one fuel tank was damaged in the attack, but the resulting fire was quickly brought under control. Russia described this assault as a “provocation aimed at undermining US peace efforts.”
Zelensky’s Firm Response: ‘We Will Not Remain Silent’
On 19 March, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that Russian forces had carried out attacks on Ukrainian territory using Iskander-M and S-300 missiles, along with 145 Iranian-made Shahed drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for an end to the attacks, stating that Ukraine would respond forcefully as long as strikes on its energy infrastructure continued. He also mentioned that he had not yet held direct talks with Trump but expressed a desire to learn more about the details of the agreements made with Russia.
In his statement, Zelensky declared, “We will not remain silent while Russia attacks our energy facilities. We will, of course, respond.”
