An attack on the 17 billion cubic meter gas storage site risks damaging infrastructure used to store gas for Europe.
Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Ukraine early in the morning of April 11. At least eight large missiles were aimed at the gas storage facility near Stryj, in western Ukraine. At least forty missiles and forty drones were launched, and of these six 4,300kg Kinzhal missiles were launched at the storage facility. Located 80km from the Polish border, the Stryj facility is part of the Ukrainian gas storage system used by EU countries. This storage is still being used by EU countries even after the broad-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Stryj has been targeted at least twice before by Russian missiles.
At the time this report was written, no damage assessments had been made public other than that the storage units themselves were undamaged and an inspection of the distribution system was underway. While the storage facilities themselves are very far underground, the pipeline and other critical infrastructure needed to make the site operational were above ground.
Ukraine made 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of storage available to the EU for the 2023-2024 heating season. The facility in Stryj accounts for 17 bcm of Ukraine’s 30+ bcm storage system, according to the UK’s Daily Mirror. On March 23rd, part of the storage system was damaged by a Russian Rocket, but state-owned gas system operator Naftogaz Ukrayini did not divulge any details on the extent of the damage.
The extensive gas system in Ukraine is a part of the country’s Soviet-era infrastructure. Gas extracted from across the Soviet Union was stored in western Ukraine when the Soviet Union was a major gas supplier to the EU.
Coal fired power plant hit
In central Ukraine, the Trypillya Thermal Power Plant was completely destroyed in the missile attacks. Trypillya TPP supplied electricity to the Kyiv region. The plant had previously made headlines as a recipient of coal purchased from the United States in 2019. The plant had previously relied on coal from mines that fell out of Kyiv’s control. Trypillya TPP owner Centerenergo purchased Pennsylvania coal as a replacement – coal that was shipped out of the Port of Baltimore.
