Russian authorities confirmed Sunday that a Ukrainian drone strike damaged part of a major gas facility near the country’s border with Kazakhstan, The Associated Press reports. Meanwhile, Russia struck Ukraine with a new high-powered guided missile, as U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the Kremlin will walk away from the ongoing war with some of Ukraine’s territory in tow.
Ukraine hits Russian gas facility
A series of drone strikes targeting the Orenburg plant, operated by Russian energy giant Gazprom, set fire to a workshop on the site and damaged part of it, regional Gov. Yevgeny Solntsev confirmed on Sunday. Similarly, the Kazakh Energy Ministry, which supplies some of the gas processed at the facility, said it had to temporarily cease operations “due to an emergency situation following a drone attack.”
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The Orenburg plant is located near Russia’s border with Kazakhstan, and is recognized as one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world. It reportedly processes an annual capacity of 45 billion cubic meters of gas, sourced from Kazakhstan’s Karachaganak oil and gas field, as well as oil and gas fields in the plant’s namesake Orenburg region.
The drone attack bolsters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s efforts to significantly hamper Russia’s energy production capabilities. Zelenskyy has long criticized his Western allies for purchasing oil and gas from Russia, effectively funding its ongoing war effort.
“There should be zero Russian energy in Europe. The signals from America are clear — they are ready to supply as much gas and oil as needed to replace Russian supplies,” Zelenskyy posted to X on Sunday. “Our region has the necessary infrastructure and potential to contribute to Europe’s energy independence way more.”
Russia, in turn, has sought to cripple Ukraine’s energy sector, a common tactic the Kremlin has resorted to every winter since first launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. On Sunday, Ukrainian energy giant DTEK said that a large-scale Russian strike trapped nearly 200 of its employees underground.
New Russian missile enters the fray
Meanwhile, the issue of sophisticated missiles reached a fever pitch on Saturday evening, when Russia launched a new guided missile into Ukrainian territory, damaging residential buildings and injuring five people. The Russian-made UMPB-5R is reportedly capable of traveling 135 kilometers (83 miles). Saturday’s attack marked the first time it had been used.
The strike comes two days after Zelenskyy said Trump had declined to supply his military with much-needed Tomahawk missiles, capable of striking deep inside Russia. Trump has stressed the need for the U.S. to retain its military capabilities, telling reporters, “Tomahawks are a big deal. But one thing I have to say, we want Tomahawks, also. We don’t want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country.”
During a Friday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Zelenskyy told host Kristen Welker, “It’s good that President Trump didn’t say no, but for today, didn’t say yes.” He added, “I count on the continuation of this dialogue.”
Trump’s balancing act
Following a meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday and a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day prior, Trump is eager to bring the war between the two countries to an end. However, the U.S. president is also reframing what it’ll take to make that happen.
Back in September, Trump suggested that Kyiv has the military might and international support to reclaim all of its land seized and occupied by Russia over the past 3 ½ years. However, in an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo published Sunday, the U.S. president reversed course.
Asked if Putin would be willing to end the war without conceding any of the territory he’s annexed, Trump responded, “He’s going to take something. I mean, they fought, and he has a lot of property –– he’s won certain property. If you say that, he’s won certain property.”
According to a report in the Financial Times, Trump had warned Zelenskyy during their White House meeting that Putin was threatening to “destroy” Ukraine if it did not cede some territory it has lost. Putin reportedly wants to retain all of the Donbas, but is willing to withdraw from the frontlines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
“If [Putin] wants it,” Trump told Zelenskyy, “he will destroy you.”
The comments come ahead of Trump’s anticipated meeting with Putin in Budapest, which is expected to take place sometime in the coming weeks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to meet with a cadre of Russian diplomats in Washington over the coming days.
