Russia attacks southern Ukraine to block non-Russian oil routes to EU
Illustrative photo: Russia strikes pumping stations in southern Ukraine (Getty Images)
Russian forces have been striking Ukraine’s oil transport infrastructure in the south for two days in a row. The enemy aims to disrupt supplies of non-Russian oil to Europe, according to the head of the board of Naftogaz of Ukraine, Sergii Koretskyi.
According to him, Russia uses drones to strike oil facilities. Damage and destruction were recorded at one of the pumping stations. No one was killed in the attacks.
Koretskyi noted that this is not the first Russian attack on various parts of Naftogaz's infrastructure.
"Why did the Russians deliberately strike with drones and destroy the pumping station of the Druzhba oil pipeline in the city of Brody? Sooner or later, we will learn the truth. But the reason for the deliberate attacks on pumping stations in southern Ukraine is obvious — to block alternative supplies of non-Russian oil to Europe," he wrote.
Rescue services are already working to deal with the aftermath of the strikes.
Overall, since the beginning of the year, Russian forces have attacked Naftogaz infrastructure facilities more than 30 times.
Strike on Druzhba pipeline
At the end of January, the Russian army struck the Druzhba oil pipeline, which led to a halt in Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.
According to Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, most of the pipeline’s internal equipment was damaged in a fire following the attack.
At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it could take one to one and a half months to restore the operation of Druzhba.
After the attack on the pipeline, Budapest and Bratislava began issuing ultimatums to Ukraine. In particular, the Hungarian authorities blocked the provision of a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine.
