Kyiv and Moscow have intensified their long-range strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure, with reports indicating that these attacks occurred overnight, leading to significant damages and disruptions. Ukrainian officials confirmed that a massive Russian assault caused damage to a gas facility in the eastern Poltava region, where nine towns and villages have reportedly been cut off from gas supplies. In response, Naftogaz, Ukraine’s national gas company, announced that it is implementing measures to stabilize the gas supply in the affected area.
Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating that emergency power supply restrictions had to be imposed following the attacks on gas facilities. This development is part of a broader context of frequent power cuts across Ukraine, a consequence of ongoing Russian strikes targeting the nation’s energy grid. The Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, pointedly remarked that the missile attacks serve as evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains solely focused on warfare.
On the Russian side, authorities claimed that Ukraine launched a significant drone attack aimed at western and southern regions. The governor of Saratov, located hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border, reported that an industrial site had been ignited due to these drone strikes. Russia’s defense ministry asserted that its air defense systems intercepted around 40 drones, with 18 downed over the Saratov area.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council’s Countering Disinformation Centre, noted that a strategic oil refinery in Saratov had been targeted, sharing footage of flames lighting up the night sky. This facility, along with the Engels military airbase—commonly targeted by Ukraine—has been reportedly under assault.
The ongoing conflict has seen Moscow conduct a relentless bombing campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, justifying the strikes by claiming they target facilities that support Kyiv’s military operations. In retaliation, Ukraine has also launched attacks on Russian energy and military installations, with accusations coming from Moscow that Kyiv employs US- and British-supplied missiles to strike deep within Russian territory.
These recent escalations occur as both nations aim to gain a tactical advantage in the conflict, coinciding with forthcoming discussions among US and Ukrainian officials intended to chart a course toward resolving Russia’s protracted invasion, now nearing its third year.
