MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. More than 1,500 attacks on Russian energy sector facilities were staged by Ukrainian troops in a period from January to October 2024, a high-ranking source in Russia’s security services told TASS.
"From January to October 2024, the Ukrainian armed forces conducted 1,588 attacks with an aim of damaging and disabling facilities of Russia’s fuel and energy sector. Since the beginning of the special military operation, there have been 3,030 such attacks," the source said.
"As a result of 344 Ukrainian attacks with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery and missile systems on the Zaporozhye, Kherson, Kursk, and Belgorod Regions, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as border areas in Russia, several cases of damage to and disabling of electricity equipment, transport infrastructure and energy sector facilities were reported," he said, adding that acts of sabotage were reported at railway infrastructure facilities in the Sverdlovsk, Krasnodar, and Transbaikal Regions.
According to the source, Ukrainian special services practice recruiting of Russian nationals, including minors, to commit acts of sabotage at these facilities for insignificant money award. "One of the methods used by Ukrainian special services to involve people into illegal activities is through internet messengers, where in special communities, they set tasks for the users to collect sensible data not only about Russia’s defense potential, but also about Russian energy facilities," he said.
However, according to the source, Ukraine’s efforts are futile and Russia’s energy sector continues operating smoothly. "Despite the efforts of the Ukrainian army and special services, Russia’s energy sector and transport infrastructure ensure the uninterrupted operation of industrial and utility enterprises," he stressed.