Russian forces shell Sudzha gas station in false flag operation to blame Ukraine – General Staff

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian forces shelled the Sudzha gas metering station with artillery in an attempt to discredit Ukraine, emphasizing that Ukrainian forces were not involved.

This was reported by Rubryka, citing a statement from the General Staff.

"The Russian Federation is intensifying its discrediting campaign against Ukraine. The enemy has accused our Defense Forces of shelling the Sudzha gas metering station. These accusations are groundless," the statement reads.

The military also recalled that the station had previously been targeted by guided aerial bombs in the summer of 2024, and three days ago, Russian forces struck it again with guided aerial bombs.

"Today, the enemy has escalated its planned destructive information campaign with another provocation—shelling the facility with artillery," the statement added.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also reported that Russian troops had previously used the main gas pipeline to covertly move their units.

"The Russians continue to produce numerous fakes and aim to mislead the international community. We urge you to trust only official sources, verify information, and avoid falling for manipulation," the military stated.

It is worth noting that claims about an alleged Ukrainian strike on the Sudzha gas metering station first appeared on Russian public channels that support the war against Ukraine and have a history of spreading false allegations.

In particular, the Telegram channel Mash, which is believed to be close to the FSB, actively spread this information. However, ASTRA and Baza—Telegram channels that frequently report on the impact of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy and military facilities—did not mention any fire at the Sudzha station.

President Volodymyr Zelensky previously stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had completed the main objective of the Kursk operation—to withdraw Russian troops from Pokrovsk, the Kharkiv direction, and Sumy. Later, Zelensky clarified that operations in the Kursk region were ongoing, and Ukrainian forces were not surrounded.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also denied reports that Ukrainian units in the Kursk region were encircled, rejecting claims made by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

On March 10, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that he had reinforced Ukrainian units in the Kursk direction, where Russian forces were advancing. He also reassured that Ukrainian troops remained free of encirclement.

Later, the General Staff released a battle map showing that the town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region was no longer under Ukrainian control.

According to analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials are promoting false narratives—including accusations of Ukrainian war crimes during the Kursk operations—in an attempt to disrupt negotiations on a proposed 30-day ceasefire.