U.S. Vice President assures energy truce is working, while Russia strikes Ukraine’s gas infrastructure

He made this statement during a briefing at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.

In response to a question about whether the U.S. agreed to the conditions outlined by the Kremlin for achieving peace in the Black Sea, including the possible lifting of sanctions on Russian banks, Vance emphasized that there are many different statements circulating in the information space that could be misinterpreted or mistranslated.

"Some of them are not entirely clear about what is actually being discussed. But the president (Trump - ed.) said, and I think he’s right, that we feel very good about what’s happening. We trust, but verify—we make sure that what we see from one side is being carried out by the other side, and vice versa," the U.S. Vice President stressed.

Vance also noted that this war began under President Joe Biden's administration, leading to significant human casualties and destruction. At the same time, he believes that thanks to President Trump's efforts, the U.S. has the opportunity to achieve a peaceful settlement.

"The president will fight for this every day, and of course, we will keep you informed as we continue to make progress," Vance emphasized. "If you look at what we've discussed, it's clear that we have a ceasefire on energy infrastructure. We have a ceasefire on trade in the Black Sea, which I think is almost complete. Once we achieve that, we'll work on the next phase of the ceasefire."

Russia's attack on Ukraine's gas facilities

On the night of March 27-28, Russia launched a drone strike on the Poltava community in Ukraine, targeting the warehouses of UkrGasVydobuvannya, the largest gas production company in Central and Eastern Europe.

"Last night (March 27 - ed.), starting from 10 p.m., the aggressor country carried out a massive strike on the industrial area of the Poltava community. Energy infrastructure and warehouses were shelled," said Acting Head of the Poltava Regional State Administration, Volodymyr Kohut.

According to him, the premises stored spare parts, repair tools, and other equipment necessary for the restoration of energy wells for oil and gas extraction.

"There were warehouse premises of the company Ukrgazvydobuvannya, where materials and spare parts for drilling rigs and other components for oil and gas processing were stored. The attack was carried out by 13 Shahed-type drones flying in formation to a single point. Some of them were shot down by air defense forces, but the debris fell onto the territory. The attack damaged not only the Ukrgazvydobuvannya facilities but also other nearby enterprises due to the blast wave and debris," emphasized the head of the Regional State Administration.

He also noted that as a result of the explosions, civilian buildings were damaged: some roofs were torn off, windows were shattered, and facades were also damaged.

"It is too early to say whether these strikes were targeted at oil and gas facilities. The relevant authorities are currently working on various versions," added Kohut.

The head of the Naftogaz group, Roman Chumak, called Russia's attack on Ukraine's gas production an "attempt to undermine energy stability."

"This latest strike is not just an attack on our infrastructure but an attempt to undermine the country's energy stability. Our specialists are already working on eliminating the consequences and assessing the damage. Restoration will begin immediately to ensure uninterrupted gas supply," he said.