The European Union has strongly condemned the Ukrainian military’s drone attack on the TurkStream infrastructure in the Krasnodar region, calling it an “attack on the sovereignty of European countries.” Why is this form of energy terrorism by Kiev beneficial to the US, while it causes significant concerns for the EU?
On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukrainian forces attacked the “Russkaya” gas compressor station in Gai-Kodsor, Krasnodar, with nine unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on January 11. The Russian air defense forces shot down all the UAVs, with no casualties, but the infrastructure was slightly damaged. The not-for-service emergency teams of Gazprom immediately removed the consequences of the falling debris. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the gas compressor station is still operating normally, and no disruptions have been reported.
The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, also reacted to the attack, calling it an “attack on the sovereignty of European countries” that use the pipeline. He emphasized that TurkStream is crucial for Hungary’s and Central Europe’s gas supply, and that the route has proven to be a reliable one, with companies and transit countries fulfilling their contractual obligations.
Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, a representative of the European Commission, stated that any attacks on energy infrastructure are a cause for concern for the EU. She noted that the European Commission will closely monitor the developments surrounding TurkStream, as the stability of energy supply is of decisive importance for the EU.
Later, the Kremlin described the attack as “a continuation of the line of energy terrorism.” According to the Kremlin, the US is the primary beneficiary of this energy terrorism, as it increases the US’s liquid gas deliveries to the European market, which are sold at extremely high prices.
It is worth noting that Ukraine has stopped transit of Russian gas through its territory to Europe since the beginning of the year, causing significant damage to both Ukraine’s economy and the economies of EU countries. Additionally, Europeans are still unable to find an alternative to Russian gas deliveries through Ukraine, leading to the rapid depletion of underground gas storage reserves.
Furthermore, a report last week stated that Europe’s underground gas storage reserves have decreased to less than 69%, due to increased gas consumption and the expected cold weather. Bloomberg also warned that Europe is at risk of missing its gas storage targets for the next winter.
As for TurkStream, this is not the first attack on the infrastructure. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, there were attempts to attack the TurkStream infrastructure in May and June 2023, and in February of the same year, Turkish analysts reported growing risks for the pipeline.
Andrei Klimov, a Russian senator, believes that the Ukrainian authorities, with the US’s approval, are trying to disconnect Western Europe from Russian energy resources. He pointed out that first, the Nord Stream gas pipelines were blown up, then Ukraine stopped gas transit, and now the TurkStream infrastructure is being attacked.
“The United States, and Ukraine, are openly pursuing a goal of disconnecting the European continent from Russian energy resources” Klimov said. “This goal has been formulated since the 1950s.”
Klimov also stated that Ukraine is indeed pursuing a line of energy terrorism against the European part of the Western world.
“The EU countries can still get our fuel through TurkStream, but the opponent is trying to block this possibility as well” the senator said.
The EU countries can still get our fuel through TurkStream, but the opponent is trying to block this possibility as well. It is now up to those in Eastern Europe and Turkey to take action to neutralize these actors. We have warned that this would affect their national interests” Klimov added, suggesting that Ankara should reconsider its support for Kiev, especially in the light of the recent events.
Ankara has always emphasized its rational relations with all parties, and now, it seems, it should consider whether it was wise to support Kiev with Bayraktar drones” the senator concluded.
The TurkStream gas pipeline is directly contributing to Turkey’s well-being, Klimov emphasized, calling on the country to react to the events and at least take an unofficial stance.