Russia carried out its heaviest attack on Ukraine’s gas production facilities since the start of the full-scale invasion, state energy company Naftogaz said on Friday.
Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the cold months, seeking to weaken the country’s resilience by cutting heat and power supplies. Previous missile and drone attacks around this time of year forced blackouts and emergency electricity rationing.
The overnight assault on 3 October targeted sites in Kharkiv and Poltava regions, where Russia fired 35 missiles - many of them ballistic - and 60 drones, according to the company.
Ukrainian air defences intercepted part of the barrage, but some projectiles hit their targets, causing significant damage.
“This is deliberate terror against civilian facilities that ensure the production and preparation of gas used for people’s everyday needs. There is no military sense in it. It is another attempt to disrupt the heating season and deprive Ukrainians of warmth in winter,” Naftogaz CEO Serhiy Koretsky said in a statement. He added that several sites had been critically damaged.
Emergency services, Naftogaz specialists and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service were working at the affected locations to assess and contain the damage. Koretsky said Kyiv was in contact with international partners to ensure a swift response to the attack and its consequences.
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