Five killed in Russian air attack on Ukrainian Naftogaz gas facility

Three workers and two emergency service rescuers were killed in a recent attack on Ukraine’s state-run gas facilities in the Poltava and Kharkiv regions, according to Naftogaz CEO Serhiy Koretskyi. The incident occurred overnight, resulting in 37 people wounded.

Koretskyi stated that the attack involved both unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missiles, causing significant damage and production losses for the company. The strike also cut gas supply to nearly 3,500 customers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a two-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine on May 8 and 9, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concerns about the sincerity of this announcement. In response, Kyiv proposed its own pause in fighting starting on the night of May 5.

According to reports from Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 11 ballistic missiles and 164 drones at the country since Monday evening. Eight missiles and 14 drones struck 14 locations, with one missile and 149 others being shot down or neutralized.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces targeted one of Russia’s largest oil refineries on Tuesday, sparking a fire in an industrial area of the Russian town of Kirishi. The attack resulted in no casualties, and firefighting operations were nearing completion.

Industry sources reported that the Kirishinefteorgsintez oil refinery processed 17.5 million metric tonnes of oil in 2024, accounting for approximately 6.6 percent of Russia’s total oil refining volumes.

Source: Al Jazeera