Ukraine’s special forces said they attacked two crucial natural gas plants in the Arctic about 3,000km (1,800 miles) from the Russian-Ukrainian border. Both lie in the heartland of Russian gas production: Novy Urengoy is Russia’s unofficial gas capital, located in the Yamal-Nenets region in north-western Siberia. The other plant is in the Purovsky district of Yamal-Nenets. A Ukrainian statement described the two plants as “crucial for the gas condensate industry … Previously, this was considered an absolutely safe area away from the front for the aggressor.”
Fire Point, a Ukrainian company that makes deep-strike weapons including the Flamingo cruise missile, posted: “Guess who just travelled over 3,300km and successfully hit the target?” Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, praised the strikes for their effect on the Russian economy. The Russian regional governor confirmed the attack and said the damage was being assessed. About 80% of all natural gas in Russia is extracted in the Yamalo-Nenets region, according to the Interfax news agency.
Ukrainian forces also targeted Novorossiysk, a Black Sea port in Russia’s Krasnodar region. The attack hit the Russian naval base, including a terminal used to load oil, military port facilities, and warships carrying cruise missiles, Zelenskyy said.
