Turkey affirms main gas pipeline was assaulted
Date
1/19/2025 7:12:17 AM
(MENAFN) Turkish energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has confirmed that an attempted attack occurred on the TurkStream natural gas pipeline last weekend. The Russian Defense Ministry earlier reported that Ukraine targeted the compressor station in Russia’s Krasnodar region, which supplies gas to TurkStream, using nine kamikaze drones. While the attack was largely thwarted, one fixed-wing drone crashed near a gas meter, causing minor damage that was quickly addressed by personnel.
Bayraktar assured that the pipeline's operations were not impacted by the attack. He confirmed that the gas flow continued without interruption, and the pipeline maintained its normal capacity.
TurkStream, which transports natural gas from Russia to Turkey under the Black Sea, is crucial for energy supply, especially to southern and southeastern Europe, after Ukraine declined to extend a gas transit agreement with Russia. In 2024, gas shipments via TurkStream increased by 23%, totaling 16.7 billion cubic meters (bcm). The pipeline has a total capacity of 31.5 bcm annually, and it plays a significant role in regional energy security.
Russian officials have repeatedly accused Ukraine of attempting to sabotage this key energy link, and in response to the latest incident, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Ukraine's actions as “energy terrorism.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also suggested that the United States might have been involved in the attack.
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