A gas station near Sudzha, Russia, caught fire after a reported explosion. Russia accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attack, while Ukraine denied the claims, accusing Russia of staging it. Meanwhile, Russian strikes across Ukraine caused damage and injuries, including in Zaporizhzhia and Odesa.

A gas pumping and measuring station near Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region was engulfed in flames on Friday following reports of a significant explosion at the facility. Videos circulating on social media purportedly show a massive explosion and a fire blazing against the backdrop of the night sky.

Earlier this week, both Russia and Ukraine had pledged to avoid attacks on each other's energy infrastructure after phone conversations between U.S. President Donald Trump and the presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, Putin dismissed a proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire.

Following the explosion, Russia's Investigative Committee announced via Telegram that it had launched a criminal investigation into the incident, accusing Ukraine's military of orchestrating the attack. The committee alleged that "Ukrainian armed formations who illegally crossed into the territory of the Russian Federation carried out a targeted explosion of the 'Sudzha' gas distribution station." It added that the facility had "sustained significant damage."

In response, Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces issued a statement rejecting the accusations. The statement accused Russia of intensifying its "discrediting campaign against Ukraine" and asserted that the accusations of shelling the Sudzha gas metering station were "groundless." Ukraine claimed that the facility had been "repeatedly shelled by the Russians themselves" and cited past instances where the station had been struck. The Ukrainian military further suggested that Russian forces had used the main gas pipeline to "covertly move their units" to mislead the international community.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Russia had launched numerous strikes across Ukraine, leading to fires at a shopping mall and damage to residential buildings. He reported that three children were injured in the attacks, while six people, including a 4-year-old child, were wounded in Zaporizhzhia.

In the Odesa region, local head Oleh Kiper reported "local emergency power outages" across three districts, suggesting that energy infrastructure had been targeted and damaged.

The strikes occurred just before Czech Republic President Peter Pavel's visit to Odesa on Friday morning, where he met with the city's leaders and officials from other southern regions.