Russia and Ukraine target each other’s energy infrastructure as war persists

Geoff Bennett:

More than 100,000 people in Ukraine are without power today after Russia launched a massive attack on that country's energy infrastructure.

Amna Nawaz:

Ukraine has also been targeting Russia's oil and gas facilities, spiking fuel costs and requiring the country to ration gas.

As Nick Schifrin reports, it's just the latest sign that the war continues to rage, despite U.S. attempts to end it.

Nick Schifrin:

In the far east of a country home to some of the world's largest oil reserves, lines of cars wait to buy gas. In Russian-occupied Crimea, the pumps for high octane run empty.

And, online, Russian drivers post videos complaining about a gas shortage produced in part by annual maintenance, but also by Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries. Experts say the attacks have disrupted anywhere from 13 to 20 percent of Russia's refinery capacity. And on social media, Russians are not happy.

Woman (through interpreter):

I drove to the gas station to fill up gas. They tell me the gas has finished. Now we are giving them out in exchange for tickets. Are we back in the Soviet Union?

Nick Schifrin:

This month alone, Ukraine struck nearly a dozen refineries from the northwest to the south. Refineries near Ukraine's border have also been regularly attacked.

Sergey Vakulenko, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Now drones are more numerous, carry more payload, and thus they can inflict more damage.

Nick Schifrin:

Sergey Vakulenko is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center the former head of strategy for Gazprom, one of Russia's largest gas producers and exporters. He says Ukraine's previous attacks had already disrupted airports and train stations and pushed Russians into their cars, especially during end-of-summer vacations.

But now he says Ukraine is using new drone tactics and timing their attacks to coincide with peak demand.

Sergey Vakulenko:

Now it's persistent, repeated attacks aimed at knocking down refinery completely.

Nick Schifrin:

Ukraine has become the world's leading manufacturer and producer of drones, including long-range drones that can fly more than 1,000 miles.

Sergey Vakulenko:

If Ukraine manages to sustain the pressure, the flow of drones at Russian refineries, it might become increasingly serious. But it's too early to tell really whether Ukraine would be able to sustain the attack at the current level and load.

Nick Schifrin:

In Ukraine, Russia's attacks on energy and gas infrastructure have been relentless. Years of Russian strikes have revealed how Ukraine's electricity and heating systems are vulnerable. And Ukraine has struggled to maintain enough air defense to protect energy facilities.

Ukraine's consistently requested Western defensive systems…

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:

All of us want to finish this war, stop Russia, and stop this war.

Nick Schifrin:

… and Western pressure on Russia, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did last week alongside his big diplomatic guns, a historic assembly of European leaders pushing for peace.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy (through interpreter):

Everything will depend solely on the will of world leaders, primarily on the United States of America, to put pressure on Russia. New steps are needed, new pressure. Sanctions, tariffs, all this must be on the table.

Nick Schifrin:

President Trump yesterday once again threatened to punish Russia's economy, as he has before without delivery.

Donald Trump, President of the United States: I want to get it to stop. And it will not be a world war, but it will be an economic war. And an economic war is going to be bad, and it's going to be bad for Russia, and I don't want that.

Nick Schifrin:

Russia's oil industry will bounce back. But Ukrainians will keep looking for any weakness and any opportunity to force Russians to feel pain, even if it's just pain at the pump.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.