During the night, a series of strikes were launched against a facility of the National Joint-Stock Company 'Naftogaz of Ukraine' in the Kharkiv region. As reported by the Chairman of the Board of the company, Serhiy Koretskyi, Russian forces employed a combined tactics approach: the facility was first attacked by drones, followed by a missile strike an hour later.

Tactics of the double strike

According to Koretskyi, this sequence of attacks is not accidental but a deliberate strategy. "This is a conscious tactic of terror. This is how the Russians try to cause maximum harm not only to infrastructure but also to the people who rescue, repair, and restore," he emphasized. He recalled that a similar approach led to a tragedy on the night of May 5, when 'Naftogaz' employees and State Emergency Service (SES) rescuers were killed.

Strengthening security protocols

Following the events in May, the company reviewed its approaches to security. Stricter response protocols were introduced for the aftermath of attacks to minimize risks to personnel. "Adapting to such realities, we have introduced stricter security protocols to minimize the threat to our employees. Thank you to our colleagues for drawing the right conclusions; this time, there were no casualties," Koretskyi added.

Scale of damage and current situation

Relevant services are currently working at the site of the attack. The extent of the damage is being clarified. There is currently no official data on the degree of damage to the infrastructure.

Context: Mass shelling of Ukraine

The attack on the 'Naftogaz' facility occurred against the backdrop of a massive missile and drone shelling of Ukraine on the night of June 2. According to RBC-Ukraine, the combined strike resulted in 13 deaths and more than 100 injuries.

  • In Kyiv, four people were killed and 58 were injured.
  • In Dnipro, five were killed and 25 were injured.
  • In Kharkiv, 10 were injured, including a child.

Details on the consequences of the strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro can be found in the RBC-Ukraine report.