Massive Russian attacks over the past week have led to the loss of about 60% of Ukraine's natural gas production, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the situation, News.bg reports.
According to the information, the missile strikes on October 3, aimed mainly at Kharkiv and Poltava regions, caused severe damage to key gas production facilities, which seriously threatens the country's energy security before the coming winter.
Kiev has already notified its Western partners of the scale of the damage and has made an urgent request for technical and financial assistance. The Ukrainian government is seeking equipment to restore energy infrastructure, as well as funds to purchase additional imported gas.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine will need about 2 billion euros to ensure the import of 4.4 billion cubic meters of gas - an amount necessary to survive the upcoming winter season.
Sources from European institutions confirm that the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are already considering options for providing emergency financial assistance to the Ukrainian energy sector.
According to experts, Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are aimed at weakening the country economically and undermining its ability to withstand the winter, as this is the most serious blow to the energy sector since the beginning of the war.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk warned earlier that restoring production capacity could take weeks, and if attacks continue, the country will be forced to increase its dependence on imports and international aid.