The Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, has confirmed that an attack on the TurkStream natural gas pipeline took place over the weekend. Prior to this, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine had attacked a compressor station in the Russian region of Krasnodar, which supplies gas for TurkStream. According to the ministry, the attack, which involved nine kamikaze drones sent by Ukrainian forces, was largely thwarted, with one drone striking near a gas meter and causing minor damage that was quickly repaired by the station’s personnel.
Bayraktar confirmed the attack in the Turkish parliament on Wednesday, assuring that the pipeline’s functionality was not disrupted. “There was no disruption of the gas flow after the attack. The pipeline is still delivering the same amount of gas” he said.
TurkStream is a crucial energy corridor, transporting Russian natural gas under the Black Sea to Turkey. It is the last remaining connection for Russian gas to reach South and Southeast Europe, following Ukraine’s refusal to extend the gas transit agreement with Moscow for this year.
In 2024, deliveries through the pipeline increased by 23 percent, reaching 16.7 billion cubic meters. The pipeline consists of two parts: one serving Turkey’s domestic needs, and the other supplying gas through the Strandscha station to Bulgaria, with the Balkan connection extending through Bulgaria and Serbia to Hungary, and branching off to deliver Russian gas to other EU countries. With a total capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters, TurkStream plays a significant role in regional energy security.
Russian representatives have frequently accused Kiev of aiming to sabotage the energy connection in the past. Following the latest attack, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskow accused Ukraine of continuing its “energy terrorism” policy.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that the US might be involved in a plot to sabotage the gas connection.
“I firmly believe that the US doesn’t need any competitors, starting from the energy sector” he explained.