In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict, Russia launched its largest attack to date on Ukraine’s vital natural gas facilities. Officials confirmed the widespread strikes by Russia’s state-owned Naftogaz Group, which took place overnight on October 3, 2025.
Ukraine’s air force reported a barrage of 381 drones and 35 missiles, believed to be a calculated effort to cripple Ukraine’s energy infrastructure before winter sets in and diminish public morale during the three-year conflict.
Serhii Koretskyi, CEO of Naftogaz, condemned the attacks, stating, “This is deliberate terror against civilian facilities that provide gas extraction and processing for the normal life of people. It has no military purpose. This is yet another act of Russian malice aimed solely at disrupting the heating season and depriving Ukrainians of warmth in winter.”
The offensive specifically targeted Naftogaz’s gas extraction and processing sites in the northeastern Kharkiv and central Poltava regions. Koretskyi confirmed that many of these facilities sustained critical damage from the 35 ballistic missiles and 60 drones deployed by Russia.
In response, Russia’s Ministry of Defence asserted that its forces executed a mass strike using drones and guided weapons against Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and its supporting gas and energy infrastructure. The ministry claimed, “All designated targets were hit.”
Since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has consistently targeted Ukraine’s power grid as winter approaches, a tactic Ukraine describes as an attempt to weaponize the colder months by cutting off essential heat, light, and water supplies to civilians.
Recent weeks have seen an intensification of these strikes, extending beyond the power grid to include Ukraine’s rail network, which is crucial for military logistics and transport.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reiterated the gravity of the situation, stating, “Russia is terrorising civilians and trying to disrupt the heating season.”
Tragically, the attacks in Poltava resulted in injuries to an 8-year-old child and two women, according to local authorities. A powerful blast also severely damaged the historic St. Nicholas Church, shattering approximately half of its windows.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to retaliate with its own domestically produced long-range drones. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, reported drone strikes on the Orsk oil refinery, located about 1,400 kilometers (900 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Another Ukrainian drone attack briefly disrupted operations at the Azot chemical plant in Berezniki, one of Russia’s largest, situated over 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of Moscow.
Russia’s Defence Ministry also reported that its air defenses successfully shot down 20 Ukrainian drones overnight, with the majority intercepted over the Black Sea.