Ukrainian Forces Target Fuel Pipeline in Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian military intelligence reported on Saturday that its forces have struck a crucial fuel pipeline in the Moscow region that services Russian troops. This comes amidst ongoing Russian large-scale drone and missile assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The operation was executed late Friday, as detailed in a statement on the Telegram messaging platform. The agency, referred to by the acronym HUR, characterized the strike as a “serious blow” to Russian military logistics.
HUR indicated that the attack focused on the 400-kilometer (250-mile) Kortsevoy pipeline, which delivers gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel to the Russian military from various refineries located in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow.
The agency reported that all three fuel lines were destroyed near the Ramensky district.
According to HUR, this pipeline has the capacity to transport up to 3 million tons of jet fuel, 2.8 million tons of diesel, and 1.6 million tons of gasoline each year.
“Our attacks have had a greater impact than the sanctions,” commented HUR leader Kirillo Budanov, referencing international sanctions placed on Russia due to its full-scale warfare and the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In a separate development, local official Vitaly Kim noted that a ballistic missile strike by Russia on southern Ukraine resulted in one civilian death and 15 injuries on Saturday morning, including children, in the Mykolaiv region. The missiles used were identified as Iskander.
An early Saturday attack also caused a fire at a gas facility in central Poltava, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.
This series of strikes follows a recent wave of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leading to widespread power outages and restrictions across the country. Ukrainian officials have labeled such actions as “organized energy terrorism.”
Overnight into Saturday, Russian forces launched 223 drones at Ukraine, with Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepting 206 of them. Additionally, 17 missiles struck targets across seven Ukrainian regions, although specific details weren’t disclosed.
Another assault targeted an agricultural business in the Chernihiv region, injuring a 66-year-old woman, as reported by regional government official Viacheslav Chaus.
