Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure has reached a new level.
A Russian offshore oil and gas platform in the Caspian Sea has suspended production after what Ukrainian officials described as an unprecedented drone strike far from the front lines.
Multiple outlets, including Reuters, Kyiv Independent and Bloomberg reported Thursday that the Filanovsky platform, operated by Russia’s Lukoil, was struck by Ukrainian long-range drones.
The reports cited Ukrainian security sources and independent media.
“This is Ukraine’s first strike on Russian infrastructure related to oil production in the Caspian Sea,” an SBU source told CNN, describing the attack as a milestone in Kyiv’s campaign against Russia’s energy sector.
The Caspian sea is more than 700 km (435 miles) from the nearest Ukrainian border. It is unclear how long operations at the platform will be suspended.
Forced shutdown
According to Bloomberg, Reuters and the Kyiv Independent, at least four drones hit the facility, forcing a shutdown at more than 20 producing oil and gas wells run by the company.
Independent Russian outlet Astra reported that the drones struck the platform on Monday evening, citing an unnamed source within Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry.
Ukraine’s government has not formally claimed responsibility.
Shadow fleet strike
Thursday Dec 10, the SBU said that it had struck an oil tanker of the Russian so-called Shadow Fleet.
The strike happened in the Black Sea on Wednesday and was the third attack on Russian tankers in just two weeks.
Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, CNN, Kyiv Independent, Astra, The Moscow Times
