Sybiha calls on Europe to jointly defend against Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called on European countries to jointly defend against Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of joining forces to counter the threats.

“With temperatures in Ukraine dropping, Russia launched a massive attack on our energy infrastructure in the Kharkiv and Poltava regions over the past night. With 60 drones and 35 missiles, including ballistic, this was the largest Russian attack on our gas extraction since the start of the war. It caused sigfnicant damage,” Sybiha said on X.

He stressed that Russia is once again attempting “to use cold as a weapon in its genocidal war against the Ukrainian people,” and that this crime falls under Article II (c) of the Genocide Convention. Sybiha called on the international community to act decisively.

According to him, Ukraine requires additional air defense to protect its energy grid, as well as long-range capabilities to destroy Russian means of terror, and also immediate energy assistance, including additional volumes of energy resources, to assist Ukraine in passing the fourth wartime winter during Russia's full-scale aggression.

“Above all, it is time to build a common European air shield—Ukraine and European partners together. We can counter Russian threats together, no matter where they occur, whether they are Russian strikes on the Ukrainian energy system or airspace violations in the Baltic and Nordic countries, Poland, Romania, and the rest of Central Europe. No single country must face Russian drones and missiles alone, and we can ensure common protection if we join forces,” Sybiha added.