Russia carried out its biggest attack of the war overnight, targeting natural gas facilities operated by Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz Group, Ukrainian officials said Friday.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 381 drones and 35 missiles, aiming to damage the country’s power and gas infrastructure ahead of winter and undermine public morale.
Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi described the strike as “deliberate terror against civilian facilities” with no military purpose, saying the attacks were meant to disrupt the heating season and deprive Ukrainians of warmth.
The northeastern Kharkiv and central Poltava regions saw 35 missiles, including ballistic types, and 60 drones targeting gas extraction and processing sites, some sustaining severe damage.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces struck Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and related energy infrastructure, claiming all targets were hit. Ukraine has reported that Russian attacks on power grids and rail networks are intended to weaponize winter.
In Poltava, an 8-year-old child and two women were injured, and blasts shattered about half the windows of the historic St. Nicholas Church.
Ukraine has retaliated with domestic long-range drones, striking Russia’s Orsk oil refinery and briefly halting operations at the Azot chemical plant in Berezniki. Russia said it shot down 20 Ukrainian drones, mostly over the Black Sea.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the strikes aim to terrorize civilians and disrupt essential services during winter.
