Russian forces attacked Naftogaz Group oil and gas facilities for the second day in a row, striking production assets in the Poltava and Sumy regions, Ukraine’s state energy company reported Monday, Feb. 9.
The latest strikes followed a mass drone attack on Sunday that targeted Naftogaz infrastructure in the Poltava region, as Russia continues its campaign against Ukraine’s energy sector. Ukraine’s gas infrastructure has been repeatedly under attack since January 2025.
Drone attack damages Naftogaz facilities in Poltava region
On Sunday night, Russian forces carried out a large-scale drone attack on Naftogaz Group facilities in the Poltava region, resulting in direct hits and damage to assets and equipment.
“There were direct hits. Assets and equipment sustained damage. No casualties were reported. Units of the State Emergency Service are now on site. Emergency crews, technical services, and all relevant divisions are working in enhanced mode to eliminate the consequences of the attack,” a Naftogaz press release quotes Sergii Koretskyi, chief executive officer of Naftogaz, as saying.
Naftogaz said the overnight strike marked the 19th targeted Russian attack on the Group’s facilities since the beginning of 2026.
Second day of Russian strikes expands attacks to Sumy region, on top of targeting Poltava region
For the second consecutive day, Russian forces again targeted Naftogaz production assets in the Poltava region and launched new large-scale attacks on facilities in the Sumy region. The attacks in Sumy took place as of Feb.9, according to the company.
Units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and other relevant services were working at the affected sites.
“There is damage to and destruction of equipment. Fortunately, there have been no casualties. Once the security situation is stabilized, our specialists will begin eliminating the consequences of the attack,” the press release quotes Koretskyi as saying.
Naftogaz said the latest strikes brought the total number of attacks on its facilities since the start of 2026 to 20.
Russian attacks devastated Ukraine’s domestic natural gas production, reducing it by more than half. Ukraine purchased 4.58 billion cubic meters of gas from foreign suppliers in 2025, including 3.67 billion since last winter. Kyiv estimates total import needs may reach 5.8 billion cubic meters by the end of 2026 in light of Russia’s ongoing attacks.
Part of the gas is purchased as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US through Polish multinational ORLEN – and through Greek state-owned company DEPA Commercial, which is utilizing a new gas route through Greece for the first time in history.
To replenish gas reserves, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provided two loans to Naftogaz: €270 million ($292 million) in April and €500 million ($540 million) in August – the latter being the largest EBRD loan to Ukraine at that moment. The EBRD first announced the €500 million ($540 million) tranche in an exclusive interview with Kyiv Post.