Ukraine and Russia begin talks to secure energy infrastructure

Talks have begun under the aegis of Qatar between Ukraine and Russia with a view to halting air strikes against energy infrastructure in both countries. Discussions had already begun and were on the point of being concluded before being interrupted at the beginning of August following the entry of Ukrainian troops into Russian territory in the Kursk region. The talks are only just beginning. If successful, they would set a precedent for de-escalation between the two countries. The Russian strikes affected up to 9,000 MW of electricity production capacity in Ukraine. The Ukrainian strikes affected up to 17% of Russia's refining capacity.