Russia has attacked Naftogaz facilities in several regions: what are the consequences?
13 May 23:49
On the afternoon of May 13, Russian forces once again launched strikes against the infrastructure of the Naftogaz group in several regions of Ukraine. This was reported by Serhiy Koretskyi, chairman of the board of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
Which Naftogaz facilities did Russia attack?
According to Naftogaz, Russian troops attacked the company’s infrastructure in two regions.
In the Kharkiv region, an enemy drone damaged a gas production facility. In the Zhytomyr region, the strike hit the company’s production infrastructure, after which a fire broke out at the site.
The extent of the damage is currently being assessed by the company’s specialists and relevant services.
What is known about the consequences of the attack
According to preliminary data, one of the gas production assets was damaged as a result of the strike in the Kharkiv region. In the Zhytomyr region, a fire broke out after the attack on a production facility.
Serhiy Koretskyi emphasized that the most important thing is that there were no casualties this time. The company stated that it is working to assess the consequences and repair the damage.
Russia is systematically targeting gas infrastructure
The attack on May 13 was not the first in recent weeks. On the night of May 4–5, Russian troops launched a massive attack on Naftogaz facilities in the Poltava and Kharkiv regions. Gas production facilities were targeted, resulting in fatalities among workers and State Emergency Service personnel.
According to Serhiy Koretskyi, Russia has attacked Naftogaz facilities dozens of times since the beginning of the year. These strikes targeted various aspects of the company’s operations—from gas and oil production and transportation to thermal power generation and gas stations.
Why attacks on Naftogaz are dangerous
Naftogaz is one of the key companies in Ukraine’s energy sector. The group includes enterprises engaged in gas production, oil transportation, energy supply, and the operation of infrastructure vital to the population and businesses.
Attacks on gas production facilities could affect:
- the stability of domestic gas production;
- preparations for the heating season;
- the operation of industrial enterprises;
- regional energy security;
- the need for additional gas imports.
Following previous attacks in May , Naftogaz reported a loss of part of its production and the need to import additional volumes of gas.
Attacks in May became more frequent
Throughout May, Russia repeatedly struck gas infrastructure. In particular, on May 4, an attack was reported on five Naftogaz Group facilities in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Due to equipment damage, production processes had to be temporarily suspended at that time.
Also, on May 9, a Russian FPV drone attacked a Naftogaz emergency service vehicle in the Donetsk region. The vehicle was responding to a call in the frontline town of Druzhkivka to repair damaged infrastructure. The vehicle was destroyed, but the employees managed to evacuate and were unharmed.
What Naftogaz Says
The company emphasizes that Russia is deliberately targeting Ukraine’s energy and gas infrastructure. Such strikes complicate the industry’s operations, but emergency and technical crews continue restoration efforts wherever the security situation permits.
Following previous shelling, Naftogaz noted that damage to production facilities is complicating preparations for winter, but the company is working to minimize the consequences.
