Ukrainian officials reported Tuesday that a deadly Russian assault using missiles and drones targeted natural gas production sites overnight, resulting in five fatalities and widespread service disruptions.
The strike hit energy infrastructure operated by Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz company in both the Poltava and Kharkiv regions. Among those killed were three Naftogaz workers and two emergency response personnel, according to company CEO Serhiy Koretskyi.
“Gas production facilities in the Poltava and Kharkiv regions came under fire,” Koretskyi stated, adding that 37 additional people suffered injuries in the assault.
The Naftogaz chief described the operation as a coordinated strike using both unmanned aircraft and ballistic missiles, resulting in substantial infrastructure damage and production interruptions.
Ukrainian air defense forces tracked a massive wave of incoming threats beginning Monday evening at 6 p.m. local time, including 11 ballistic missiles and 164 drones launched by Russian forces. Military officials said they successfully intercepted one missile and 149 drones, though eight missiles and 14 drones managed to hit 14 separate locations across the country.
Regional governor Vitalii Diakivnych confirmed that direct strikes and falling debris impacted two facilities in the central Poltava area, leaving nearly 3,500 residents without gas service.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko revealed that the two emergency workers died during a follow-up missile strike after rescue teams had arrived to battle a large fire ignited by the initial attack on the gas facility. The secondary assault also injured 23 rescue personnel.
“These are deliberate attacks on those who save lives,” Klymenko wrote on the Telegram messaging platform.
