Russia says increased Ukrainian attacks threaten gas export routes

MOSCOW, March 19 - The Kremlin on Thursday condemned what it called an intensification of Ukrainian attacks on Gazprom gas compressor stations serving two major pipelines, saying such incidents threatened critical infrastructure and international energy routes. Read more at straitstimes.com.

MOSCOW, March 19 - The Kremlin on Thursday condemned what it called an intensification of Ukrainian attacks on Gazprom gas compressor stations serving two major pipelines, saying such incidents threatened critical infrastructure and international energy routes.

Gazprom said earlier that attacks on three compressor stations supporting the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines had increased in frequency this week, but all of them had been repelled.

The two pipelines carry Russia gas across the Black Sea to Turkey, from which some of it is pumped to European countries including Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia.

They are Russia's last remaining pipeline routes serving Europe, at a time when gas prices have spiked sharply because of the war in the Middle East.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which throughout the four-year conflict has targeted Russian energy infrastructure as a means of undercutting Moscow's war effort and reducing its revenue.

Russia has also pounded Ukrainian energy targets including its electricity grid, frequently cutting off power and heating.