Russia’s military on Monday accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on infrastructure linked to the TurkStream gas pipeline, a critical route for Russian gas supplies to Europe via Turkey, writes MT.
«In an effort to disrupt gas supplies to European countries, the Kyiv regime launched an attack on Jan. 11 using nine drones,» Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement, referring to a gas compressor station in southern Russia that services the pipeline.
The ministry claimed all drones were intercepted, with debris causing «minor damage» to a building and equipment at a gas measuring station in the village of Gai-Kodzor, near Russia’s southern Black Sea coast.
Authorities reported that the facility continues to operate «normally,» with no disruptions to gas supplies.
TurkStream, which spans 930 kilometers (578 miles) under the Black Sea, transports Russian gas to Turkey and onward through the Balkans. It is currently the only active pipeline carrying Russian gas to Europe, with an annual capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters.
The attack comes nearly two weeks after a gas transit deal between Russia and Ukraine expired, with Kyiv opting not to renew the agreement following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
While the EU has reduced its reliance on Russian gas since the February 2022 invasion, imports of Russian liquefied natural gas transported by sea have risen in several European countries despite the decline in pipeline deliveries.