Kyiv Faces New Threats as Russia Targets Gas Facility in Odesa
Kyiv – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Wednesday that Russia’s attack on a gas facility in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region hampers crucial winter preparations. Zelenskiy revealed that the gas infrastructure in Novosilske, a village near the Romanian border, was struck. The location is significant as it hosts the Orlovka interconnector, vital for delivering gas to Ukraine through the Transbalkan route, reports 24brussels.
Ukrainian energy officials are currently assessing the damage to the interconnector and whether gas deliveries will continue. The national transit operator indicated an expectation to pump 0.4 million cubic meters of gas through Orlovka on Wednesday.
“This was a deliberate blow to our preparations for the heating season, absolutely cynical, like every Russian blow to the energy sector,”
Zelenskiy stated via Telegram.
Significance of the Transbalkan Gas Route
Recently, Ukraine tested Azerbaijani gas deliveries through the Transbalkan route for the first time, with ambitions to significantly increase imports from Azerbaijan’s SOCAR energy company. This route facilitates gas delivery from Greece through Bulgaria and Romania to Ukraine, enhancing its energy security.
Officials in Kyiv have emphasized the critical importance of this route as it permits access to liquefied gas from Greek and Turkish LNG terminals, as well as gas from Azerbaijani and Romanian pipelines, and potentially Bulgarian offshore gas.
Impact of Russian Strikes on Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure
Recurring Russian attacks have severely weakened Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, diminishing the resilience of its energy systems. Notably, significant portions of thermal and hydro generation capabilities have been destroyed, leading to widespread blackouts and hampering the national grid’s operation.
Extent of Power Generation Loss in Ukraine
The onslaught has forced Ukraine to rely almost entirely on nuclear power stations, which now contribute about 70% of the remaining electricity generation. As a result of the destruction of thermal generation capacity, Ukraine has experienced a total loss of approximately 80% of its generation capacity, including hydro generation and transmission infrastructure.
The Toll of Previous Energy Strikes in 2022
The most significant Russian strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure occurred on October 10, 2022, when Russia launched 84 strategic cruise missiles and 24 suicide drones, aiming at the electrical grid alongside extensive military operations in Kyiv. This assault inflicted serious damage on critical infrastructure, rendering nearly half of the Ukrainian power grid inoperative, leaving approximately 10 million Ukrainians without electricity.
