Gas station explosion controversy ahead of Jeddah talks

Russia and Ukraine on March 21 accused each other of being behind the explosion at a Russian gas station in the Kursk region, while Kyiv hoped to reach a partial ceasefire at upcoming talks in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

What happened in Sudzha?

Ukraine on March 21 accused Russia of deliberately attacking a gas metering station in Sudzha, Kursk province, on the border between the two countries. The purpose of this action, according to Kyiv, was to blame Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Ukrainian forces while withdrawing from the Kursk region destroyed a gas metering station in Sudzha, RT reported.

Russia wants to see how the US handles the situation after accusing Ukraine of attacking oil depots

The incident occurred in the early morning of March 21, and the power station was previously used to supply fuel to European countries via Ukraine.

Video footage posted on social media shows a fire at the Sudzha facility, just a few hundred metres from the Russian-Ukrainian border.

Image taken from video clip showing the gas metering station on fire in Sudzha

The Russian Defense Ministry explained that the Ukrainian army had taken control of the city of Sudzha since early August last year and was using it as a logistical hub for the military operation. During the withdrawal, the Ukrainian side deliberately blew up a gas metering station near the border.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the incident evidence of Kyiv’s unreliability. Peskov claimed that Russia had stopped attacking enemy energy infrastructure, but Kyiv denied the claim.

Instead, Ukraine accused Russia of blowing up the station and denied involvement of Kyiv government forces in the incident.

Russia's strategic nuclear air base shaken by Ukraine attack

In another development, an explosion occurred on the same day at a Russian oil depot in the southern Krasnodar province, where firefighters were trying to extinguish a fire caused by a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on March 18.

"During the fire extinguishing process, due to the burning tank depressurizing, an explosion of oil products occurred and released the burning oil," according to information from local authorities.

The fire spread to another oil tank, and the fire area increased to 10,000 ^m2 . More than 450 firefighters participated in the firefighting effort and 2 people were injured.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov leads Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah

Ukraine pins hopes on Jeddah

Ukraine hopes to reach a partial ceasefire at talks in Jeddah, with US officials set to meet separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives.

Delegations from the US, Russia and Ukraine will arrive in Jeddah on March 24, where Washington officials will meet separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives, AFP reported on March 21, citing a senior Kyiv official.

“We still want to achieve a ceasefire, at least based on what we have proposed,” the source said, including stopping attacks on energy facilities, civilian infrastructure and in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who will handle discussions on technical issues related to the implementation of any agreement, the source added.

President Trump puts Ukraine nuclear power in 'crosshairs'

Related questions include which facilities should be included in the no-strike list, as well as how the ceasefire will be monitored.

So far, Russia has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian plan for a full, unconditional ceasefire lasting 30 days. Instead, Moscow has proposed only stopping attacks on energy facilities.

Regarding the Russian delegation attending the meeting in Jeddah, Moscow announced that the delegation was headed by Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Senate, and its member was Sergei Beseda, advisor to the head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

"They are the most experienced negotiators, with a lot of experience in this kind of work," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Iris-T air defense system will be on the list of weapons to be delivered to Ukraine in the next 2 years

Germany approves 3 billion euro military aid to Ukraine

On the same day, Germany approved a 3 billion euro military aid package for Ukraine, days before indirect talks brokered by the US between Russia and Ukraine took place, AFP reported.

The aid package is expected to include military equipment such as ammunition, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), armored vehicles and air defense systems.

The parliamentary budget committee on March 21 gave the green light to the aid, which had been delayed for months due to disagreements within the coalition government of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Green Party MP Britta Hasselmann, who belongs to a party that supports aid to Ukraine, breathed a sigh of relief at the move, calling it a "strong signal to Ukraine" in the new situation.

The new aid package will be in addition to the 4 billion euros already approved. Germany has also agreed to spend 8.3 billion euros on Kyiv between 2026 and 2029.

German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said the new military aid package will include the Iris-T air defense system that Germany is preparing to produce and deliver within the next two years.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chien-su-ukraine-ngay-1122-tranh-cai-ve-no-tram-khi-dot-truoc-dam-phan-jeddah-185250321210157753.htm