Russia strikes directly at Ukraine's energy lifeline, Kiev raises nationwide alarm
Russia launched a fierce attack on Poltava, burning energy facilities and covering the sky of central Ukraine with smoke, threatening a fuel crisis.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•23/08/2025
On August 19, according to Reuters news agency, Russia launched one of the fiercest attacks of the summer, targeting the Poltava province in central Ukraine. A series of cruise missiles and UAVs hit energy facilities, sending black smoke and huge flames over the city, raising concerns that Ukraine is facing a serious energy crisis. The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy confirmed that on the night of August 18 to the morning of August 19, dozens of suicide drones and cruise missiles were simultaneously deployed by Russia. A gas transport facility in the Poltava region became the main target, suffering multiple consecutive attacks, causing damage to the infrastructure and spreading fire.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Energy stressed: “The Russian military launched another major attack on energy infrastructure in the Poltava region, using missiles and UAVs simultaneously. Large-scale fires were recorded at several points.” Meanwhile, the Russian news agency Interfax, citing a source from the Russian Ministry of Defense, said that the target of the attack was an oil refinery that they accused of “providing fuel directly to the Ukrainian Army.” Although not named, public opinion immediately turned to the Kremenchuk refinery, the only operating oil refinery in Ukraine, which is located in the Poltava area. Kremenchuk has long been a hot spot in Russia’s air campaign. The plant has been repeatedly attacked by drones and missiles over the past two years, causing frequent disruptions to its operations. The Kremenchuk city government released a video on August 19 showing the sky filled with black smoke and many residential areas near the plant shrouded in smoke after the explosions.
However, Kiev has avoided confirming whether the plant was destroyed or forced to stop operating. This silence, according to analysts, may be aimed at avoiding public panic and preventing the enemy from exploiting strategic information. The Energy Ministry only said that in June, Russia had twice attacked Ukraine's oil refining infrastructure, including Kremenchuk. Not only Kremenchuk, but other oil depots and fuel storage facilities on Ukrainian territory have been repeatedly targeted since the early days of the conflict. Russia's strategic goal is believed to be to cut off fuel supplies, paralyzing Ukraine's military logistics and transportation. Since 2022, Ukraine will have to import more than 80% of its fuel needs from Europe, mainly through Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The Ministry of Energy said that since March 2025 alone, the country’s energy infrastructure has suffered at least 2,900 attacks, indicating that Russia is focusing its firepower on this key sector.
Observers say Russia is intensifying its attacks on energy infrastructure in the summer of 2025 in preparation for winter, when heating demand will increase. Paralyzing oil refining and fuel transportation systems will make it difficult for Kiev to maintain electricity and gas supplies, while limiting the army’s logistical capabilities on the battlefields of Donetsk and Kharkiv. In that context, Ukraine called on the West to provide additional air defense systems and long-range missiles to counter UAVs and cruise missiles. However, experts say this shield is difficult to completely prevent, because Russia often uses the "firestorm" tactic, launching hundreds of attacks, overloading the defense.
The latest attack on Poltava not only causes direct damage to infrastructure but is also symbolic, as Russia continues to demonstrate that it can strike directly at Ukraine’s vital energy arteries. Meanwhile, Kiev faces a dual challenge: ensuring energy supplies for its people and economy while maintaining its military capabilities on the battlefield.
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