Putin's 30-day order 'expires': Will Russia get a 'freehand' in resuming attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure?

The 30-day moratorium on attacking Ukrainian energy targets ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin has "expired", the Kremlin said on Friday (April 18). 

Putin last month announced the truce, after holding call with US President Donald Trump, however, the two sites did not stop targeting, and accused each other of breaking the truce. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, "The month has indeed expired. As of this time, there have been no other instructions from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Putin."

Trump took the promise from Russia as he attempted to break a ceasefire deal in the three-year Russia-Ukraine war. 

Following separate meetings with US officials, the White House said both Ukraine and Russia had "agreed to develop measures for implementing" an "agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine".

Earlier today, a Russian missile attack on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed one person, while injuring 82 others.

"This is how Russia began this Good Friday – with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Shaheds – maiming our people and cities," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

Zelensky said Russia was never serious about the moratorium, adding that Moscow was continuing to strike Ukraine's energy targets "despite Putin's words".

Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha called Russia "a terror machine", adding, "It will only stop if we confront it with true strength."

On Thursday, Zelensky also said that Russia was launching the same number of missiles and drones at Ukraine as before the agreement.

Moreover, on Friday, Russia's morning drone attack on Sumy, another northeastern city, also killed one person and injured another at a factory baking Easter cakes, officials said.