The chairman of Ukraine’s state-run gas company warned our reporter that this winter could be the hardest for the country since Russia invaded. He said that Moscow is determined to cut off warmth to citizens as temperatures drop below zero.
During the four-year battle, Moscow has extensively attacked Ukraine’s energy grid. This year, however, it has also attacked the country’s gas facilities, according to AFP.
Sergiy Koretsky, the CEO of Naftogaz, stated that this year’s strikes have been worse and begun earlier in the winter, making the damage worse.
“The devastation and losses of Ukrainian gas production are very big. He informed our reporter in an interview last week that it would take a long time to get this production back up and running.
Koretsky indicated that “it will definitely be harder” when asked how he thinks the rest of the winter will go compared to other years.
He added that Russian strikes had caused almost $1.1 billion in damage to Ukraine’s gas network. He also said that it would take up to two years to fix some plants since they need custom-made parts from Europe and the United States.
“Since the start of October, before the warm season, the attacks have become much more intense, varied, and violent. He told our reporter, “The number of missiles alone is in the hundreds.”
He stated, “The only reason for these crazy terrorist attacks on the gas infrastructure is to make Ukrainians panic and leave Ukraine without gas, electricity, and heat.”
– “Impossible” job –
A look at Ukrainian air force statistics shows that Russia has sent the most drones and missiles to Ukraine in the past several months.
Koretsky said that it is “impossible” to secure some of the country’s huge gas plants from Russian missiles.
“Because of this, there are hits and destruction.”
Our reporters saw storage tanks blasted up at one gas production site that was struck in a recent Russian strike. The tanks were surrounded by broken pipelines and twisted, rusty metal.
Koretsky wouldn’t specify how bad the damage was, only that it was “significant.”
In 2025, the US will produce “significantly less” gas than the 13.9 billion cubic meters (bcm) recorded in 2024. Because of the recent wave of attacks, Kyiv would have to purchase an extra four bcm at a cost of $2 billion.
At different times during the war, officials have said that strikes had caused Ukraine to lose 40 to 50 percent of its gas production.
Power outages happen a lot all around the country. This is because the government has to restrict electricity by using rolling blackouts and because attacks to the energy network cause emergency outages.
About the Author
