Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has sounded the alarm regarding a Russian assault on his country’s energy sector, emphasizing that the attack on Saturday specifically targeted gas facilities crucial for supplying the European Union.
Despite the transit deal between Russia’s Gazprom (MCX:GAZP) and Ukraine, which allows Russia to continue gas supply to the EU via Ukraine until December, Ukraine’s energy minister had previously stated that Kyiv had no intentions to extend or renegotiate the agreement with Moscow.
Addressing the nation in his nightly video broadcast, Zelenskiy highlighted that the assault primarily aimed at energy infrastructure, including electricity and gas transit facilities. He underscored the significance of these gas facilities in ensuring the secure delivery of gas to the European Union.
While Zelenskiy revealed that Ukrainian forces had successfully intercepted some of the 34 Russian missiles deployed, he refrained from specifying the targeted facilities or confirming whether the missiles had hit their intended objectives.
Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, confirmed the attacks on its facilities but assured that no casualties were reported, and gas supplies to Ukrainian consumers and clients remained unaffected.
Maksym Kozytskyi, the governor of Lviv region bordering Poland, disclosed that his region had come under attack, with strikes inflicted by cruise and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. Despite downing three missiles, two critical energy infrastructure sites in Stryi and Chervonohrad districts sustained damage and ignited fires, which were swiftly extinguished by emergency services.
Reiterating his plea for defensive weaponry, particularly Patriot systems, Zelenskiy emphasized Ukraine’s urgent need for at least seven defensive systems to bolster its security against such attacks.
Zelenskiy condemned the calculated nature of the strike, designed by Russian forces to challenge Ukraine’s air defense systems. He underscored the significance of intercepting each missile, emphasizing it as a significant achievement in thwarting further devastation.