Exchanging missile and drone attacks
Oil refineries, power plants, etc. are hit one after the other.
Attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant throughout this month
EU considers Russian LNG sanctions
Russia warns that Europe will face headwinds
Enlarge photo As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, attacks on the energy infrastructure of both countries are intensifying. The frequency of attacks on Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant has increased, and gas infrastructure on the mainland of both countries is under attack. As the war drags on, both sides are increasing their efforts to gain an indirect advantage over a direct conflict, and the European Union (EU) plans to push for liquefied natural gas (LNG)-related sanctions against Russia.
On the 27th (local time), Reuters reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video speech that day that Russia had attacked his country’s energy facilities with 34 missiles. President Zelensky said, “Russia’s main targets are the energy sector, various industrial facilities, and electricity and gas facilities,” adding, “Gas facilities in particular are important facilities in ensuring a secure (gas) supply to the EU. ”
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 21 of the 34 Russian missiles, but that the remaining missiles damaged some energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushenko said on Telegram that energy facilities in three regions were damaged: central Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, western Lviv Oblast and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, announced that Russia had attacked four of its thermal power plants, causing serious damage to equipment and causing casualties.
Ukraine also targeted Russian energy facilities. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on the same day that it had shot down a total of 68 Ukrainian drones, including 66 in the southern Krasnodar Oblast and two in Crimea. “They (Ukrainian troops) tried to attack oil refineries and infrastructure facilities,” Krasnodar Governor Benjamin Kontrachev said, adding, “There were no casualties or serious damage.”
Russia’s state-run TASS news agency said the Slavyansk oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai has partially suspended operations due to a drone attack in Ukraine. “Ten drones flew into the factory and a big fire started,” said Eduard Trudnev, security director of the Slavyansk ECO Group. AFP reported that Ukraine attacked key facilities at two oil refineries in Krasnodar Oblast.
As the lull between the two countries’ ground forces on the front line in eastern Ukraine lengthens, airstrikes using missiles and drones appear to have emerged as the main method of attack. Energy infrastructure is always a priority target in such indirect attacks. If energy supply is disrupted, the progress of military operations may be hindered and the economic power of the other country may be damaged.
Attacks on major energy facilities cause frustration and fear among the military and citizens of the opposing country. A representative example is the imminent threat surrounding the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Recently, attacks on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant have been on the rise. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on the 18th that Russian officials working at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant reported a drone attack on the nuclear power plant’s training center.
Russia claimed earlier this month that “Ukraine has entered the path of nuclear terrorism.” According to Russia, a suicide drone was shot down on the roof of Unit 6 of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Station on the 8th, and before that, the loading dock, the cafeteria, and the roof of Unit 6 of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant were attacked. on the 7th. However, the Ukraine denied the attack and refuted it as “Russia’s own game.”
Meanwhile, the EU is expected to strengthen Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Russian LNG. Politico, an American political media outlet, reported on the 26th that the European Commission is considering including sanctions on Russian LNG in the 14th anti-Russian sanctions package. This is the first time the EU has considered sanctions on Russian LNG.
If this becomes a reality, Russia will inevitably suffer an economic blow. “Illegal attempts to put pressure on Russia in the energy market continue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing on the 27th “For the end user, this means more expensive gas.”
The intention is to remind us of the nightmare of the ‘European energy crisis’. At the beginning of the war, Russia closed ‘Nord Stream 1’, a natural gas pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany, several times. Most European countries, heavily dependent on Russian natural gas, suffered general economic damage due to rising energy prices.
However, it is not clear whether Russia’s warning will work. European countries have diversified their energy import portfolios for over two years since the ‘Versailles Declaration’ in March 2022, which aimed to break away from energy dependence on Russia.
[김상준 기자]
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