Russia launched a combined drone and missile attack on a key gas facility in the Kharkiv region using what the company described as a deliberate tactic aimed at maximizing damage to critical infrastructure and emergency responders.
According to Ukraine’s state-owned gas conglomerate Naftogaz, Russian forces on Tuesday struck the facility with drones before launching a missile attack about an hour later.
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Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi called the attack “deliberate.”
“This is a deliberate tactic of terror. The Russians are trying to inflict maximum damage not only on infrastructure, but also on the people who rescue, repair and restore it,” Koretskyi was quoted as saying by the press release.
He noted that the attack followed the same pattern used on May 5, when Russian strikes killed Naftogaz employees and State Emergency Service (DSNS) rescuers responding to an earlier attack.
Following that incident, Naftogaz strengthened its safety protocols for emergency and repair crews working at critical infrastructure sites. Koretskyi said those measures helped prevent casualties during the latest strike.
“Thanks to the lessons learned and stricter safety procedures, this time there were no injuries. Damage assessment and restoration work will begin as soon as the security situation allows,” Koretskyi said.
Emergency services are working at the scene, while the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
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Ukraine downs 642 aerial targets during massive attack
The strike on the Naftogaz facility came as part of a large-scale Russian assault across Ukraine.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 729 aerial weapons overnight, including 73 missiles and 656 drones.
The main target was Kyiv, though Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava and several other regions were also hit.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 642 targets, including 40 missiles and 602 drones. However, officials recorded impacts from 30 ballistic missiles, 3 cruise missiles and 33 drones across 38 locations.
Russia launched one of the largest aerial assaults of the full-scale war overnight from Monday to Tuesday.
According to Ukrainian officials, the attack damaged residential buildings, energy facilities and civilian infrastructure across multiple regions. More than 500 emergency workers were deployed nationwide to respond.
In Kyiv, 4 people were killed and 64 were injured. In Dnipro, 9 people were killed and 35 were injured after a residential building was partially destroyed.
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