Kyiv and Moscow engaged in long-range strikes targeting each other’s energy infrastructure overnight, as reported by officials from both countries on Tuesday. This escalation reportedly caused a fire at a Russian oil refinery and resulted in new power restrictions within Ukraine.
These increasing attacks precede a series of meetings between U.S. and Ukrainian officials designed to establish a roadmap aimed at concluding Russia’s nearly three-year invasion of Ukraine.
Naftogaz, Ukraine’s national gas company, confirmed that one of its facilities in the eastern Poltava region sustained damage during the intensive Russian attacks. The company stated it was “taking all necessary measures to stabilize the gas supply situation in the Poltava region.”
As a result of the attack, local authorities reported that nine towns and villages were disconnected from gas supplies. Frequent power cuts, a consequence of ongoing Russian assaults on Ukraine’s energy grid, have become the norm in the country. Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko announced that emergency power supply restrictions had been implemented following the attack on gas facilities in Poltava. He stated, “In order to minimize possible consequences for the energy system, the transmission system operator is urgently applying emergency power supply restrictions.”
Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, stated that the missile launches from Russia served as confirmation that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “only interested in war.” Meanwhile, Russian officials claimed that Ukraine had launched numerous attack drones at western and southern regions of Russia.
In Saratov, a region hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine, the local governor said that an attack hit an industrial site, without providing specific details. Russia’s defense ministry reported that its air defense systems intercepted or shot down 40 drones, including 18 over Saratov.
Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council’s Countering Disinformation Centre, confirmed that a “key” oil refinery in Saratov had been struck. He shared amateur footage showing a blaze and searchlights illuminating the night sky and mentioned that the Engels military airbase in the Saratov region, a frequent target for Ukraine, was also attacked again.
Moscow has been conducting an extended bombing campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, claiming that the attacks target facilities supporting Kyiv’s military efforts. In retaliation, Ukraine has targeted Russian energy and military installations, with Moscow accusing Ukraine of employing U.S.- and British-supplied missiles to strike deep within Russian territory. Both sides are vying for a strategic advantage on the battlefield ahead of anticipated negotiations expected early in U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term.
