Why Putin targets gas extraction facilities: Expert explains Kremlin’s plan
An expert has outlined why Russia attacks gas extraction and what it hopes to achieve.
Gas extraction (Illustrative photo)
Russia is deliberately striking gas extraction facilities to deepen Ukraine’s energy crisis and pile extra strain on the power grid.
Energy analyst Yuriy Korolchuk said this on air with Kyiv24.
According to Korolchuk, these strikes form part of «Russia’s overall strategy,» aimed at weakening the entire energy system. Damage to compressor stations and gas extraction infrastructure cuts supply volumes, triggering a cascade of adverse effects.
The expert stresses that gas shortages are forcing households to switch to electric heating. As a result, electricity consumption has already surged by 20%. Yuriy Korolchuk pointed out that this chain of strikes, which began with substations, thermal and hydroelectric power plants, now encompasses gas infrastructure.
«As for gas extraction — these are booster-compressor stations… Without them, we’ll extract less gas. All this weakens the energy system overall, because even now there’s less gas, so people will use more electricity… This will inevitably lead to power restrictions, ” the expert observed.
He added that Ukraine will now have to procure substantially larger volumes of gas from abroad. If the previous deficit was estimated at around one billion euros, it has now doubled to two billion. Though, as Korolchuk noted, completely destroying the extensive gas infrastructure remains highly unlikely. These strikes nonetheless erode the system’s operational capacity, demanding ongoing costly repairs.