The Kremlin has denied Western media reports that Moscow and Kiev are holding secret negotiations to reduce attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, as Russian attacks in Ukraine on October 30 caused casualties.
On October 29, the Financial Times, citing senior Ukrainian sources, said that Kiev wants to resume Qatar-brokered talks on the issue, which were suspended in August after Ukraine launched an offensive in the Russian Kursk region.
Ukraine has not commented on the report, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on October 30 dismissed the report as "false," saying that rumors were circulating "that do not correspond to reality."
"Even the most respected media outlets do not hesitate to publish these types of fabrications," he added.
Since the fall of 2022, Russia has systematically attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing extensive damage, electricity shortages, and generally making life difficult for Ukrainian civilians, especially during the winter season.
In recent months, Ukraine has also begun striking Russia's energy hubs through drone attacks, primarily targeting oil refineries and fuel depots that supply the Russian military in their invasion of Ukraine.
Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russian attacks had destroyed more than half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, adding that the bloc was working to help Kiev repair the damage.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued to target civilians in Ukraine, killing three people and wounding 15 others in Kherson. In Kiev, nine people were injured in a drone strike in the early hours of October 30.
