A massive Russian air assault struck some of Ukraine's main gas production facilities, officials said on Friday, in some cases causing critical damage as Ukraine prepares for a new heating season.
Russia fired 35 missiles and 60 drones at facilities of state gas and oil company Naftogaz in the Kharkiv and Poltava regions overnight, said CEO Sergii Koretskyi, adding the attack was the biggest of the war on Naftogaz sites.
"As a result of this attack, a significant portion of our facilities has been damaged. Some of the destruction is critical," he added on Facebook.
"There was no military purpose or rationale. It was yet another display of Russian malice, aimed solely at disrupting the heating season and depriving Ukrainians of the ability to heat their homes this winter," he said.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed its forces had carried out massive overnight strikes on Ukraine's gas and energy infrastructure, saying it had also attacked military-industrial facilities.
Ukraine has boosted gas imports, fearing disruption of domestic supplies, and intends to stockpile 13.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in storage facilities by mid-October. This will include some 4.6 bcm of imported gas.
Russian strikes on Ukraine's gas infrastructure earlier this year cut domestic output by 40%.
Blackouts, fuel crisis
Ukraine's top private energy provider DTEK said it had suspended operations at several gas facilities in the Poltava region after the overnight attack.
Over 8,000 consumers were left without power, the regional governor said.
According to Ukraine's air force, the massive Russian strike on 6 out of 24 regions included a total of 381 drones and 35 missiles.
Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine's energy sector as the fourth winter of war approaches, and they have already triggered prolonged blackouts in several regions.
A drone attack on the northern Kyiv and Chernihiv regions on Wednesday knocked out power to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant for three hours, including the new containment vessel erected in 2016 to keep radiation from leaking.
Seeking retaliation, Kyiv's troops have also stepped up deep strikes on oil refineries deep in Russia in recent months, prompting fuel shortages in some regions.
On Friday, Ukrainian drones hit Orsknefteorgsintez refinery in the Russian city of Orsk near the border with Kazakhstan, causing fires.
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Hundreds of people gathered for a second consecutive week at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, on Friday (12 December), to support the family of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last remaining Israeli hostage whose body is believed to be held in Gaza.
Talks aimed at ending the war between Ukraine and Russia are set to continue in Berlin this weekend, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior European leaders, a U.S. official said.
Thailand's leader vowed to continue military operations along the disputed border with Cambodia, as fighter jets launched strikes on Saturday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement between the two nations.
Türkiye’s Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Friday that discussions in Washington with U.S. officials have strengthened efforts to expand bilateral trade, moving closer to a $100 billion target.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Talks aimed at ending the war between Ukraine and Russia are set to continue in Berlin this weekend, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior European leaders, a U.S. official said.
Türkiye’s Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Friday that discussions in Washington with U.S. officials have strengthened efforts to expand bilateral trade, moving closer to a $100 billion target.
Lebanon is prepared to demarcate its border with Syria, President Joseph Aoun said on Friday, while noting that the dispute over the Shebaa Farms could be addressed at a later stage.
Greek farmers blocked the Port of Thessaloniki on Friday (12 December) as part of nationwide protests demanding delayed European Union subsidies and compensation for rising production costs and livestock losses.
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held talks on Friday during the International Peace and Trust Forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, focusing on bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues
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