Ukraine Hits Russian Oil as Grid Risks Threaten Nuclear Safety — NRG-IA
Geopolitică & Energie Autor: Ioana BuzoaicaThe war in Ukraine directly pressures energy infrastructure: Russian refineries are economic targets, and Ukraine's grid remains critical for nuclear safety.
The Ukrainian attack on targets associated with the Yaroslavl refinery and the reported fire at the Dniprovska 750 kV substation in Russia signal a shift in the intensity of the war in Ukraine: energy infrastructure is no longer just the economic backdrop of the conflict, but one of its central operational arenas. On the Russian side, Ukraine is striking refineries, terminals, and oil assets to degrade Moscow's capacity to process crude into fuel, exports, and budget revenues. On the Ukrainian side, the high-voltage power grid remains vulnerable to military activity, including where it supplies nuclear power plants. Reuters reported that Ukrainian forces attacked targets associated with the Yaroslavl refinery, located about 700 km from Ukraine's border, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense indicated that 11 Russian oil facilities were hit in May, including Kirishi, one of Russia's largest refineries. Yaroslavl expands pressure on Russian oil Yaroslavl matters less as an isolated…