Kremlin: We Preferred Washington to Urge Kyiv to Avoid Bombing Homes

The Kremlin commented today, Friday, on a media report stating that Washington had urged Ukraine to stop bombing Russian oil refineries, saying that the matter concerns the United States, but it would prefer a different call to Kyiv. The "Financial Times" reported today that informed sources indicated the United States urged Ukraine to cease attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, warning that drone strikes could provoke retaliatory responses and raise global oil prices. In response to a question about the report, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, "This is a matter for the United States. We would prefer that the United States calls on the Kyiv regime to refrain... first of all from terrorist activities against civilian targets and homes." Peskov's comments seemed to refer to the Ukrainian shelling of the Belgorod region in Russia, where officials say at least 26 people have been killed since February 15. Russian attacks in Ukraine have resulted in thousands of civilian casualties.