A fire broke out at an industrial facility in the northern Russian city of Новий Уренгой following a drone attack. Regional governor Дмитро Артюхов reported the incident on Wednesday, describing it as the first such strike on one of Russia’s gas-producing regions.
The governor did not specify which facility was affected. “The most important thing is that there are no deaths or injuries. The scale and nature of the damage are being established,” Дмитро Артюхов wrote on Telegram. State energy company Газпром did not respond to a request for comment regarding the attack in a region located approximately 3,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Energy significance of the region
Новий Уренгой, located in the Ямало-Ненецькому автономному окрузі in northwestern Siberia, is considered Russia’s unofficial “gas capital.” Газпром previously exported gas from Yamal to Western Europe, but those ties were severed following the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2022.
As of 2020, the region’s gas reserves were estimated at 26.5 trillion cubic meters. This volume is sufficient to cover global gas demand for more than six years.
Pressure on independent journalism
The Офіс Генерального прокурора of Russia has designated The Moscow Times an “undesirable” organization, which criminalizes its activities and exposes its staff to the risk of criminal prosecution. The publication had previously been labeled a “foreign agent.”
The Moscow Times called these actions an attempt to suppress independent journalism in Russia. Meanwhile, Russian authorities claim the organization’s activities “discredit the decisions of the Russian leadership.”
The increased pressure on the publication comes amid deteriorating conditions for independent journalism in Russia since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine.
Source: The Moscow Times
