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Gas supplied to Crimea routinely, no supply risks after drilling rig hit — region’s head

Earlier on Monday, Ukraine attacked drilling rigs owned by Chernomorneftegaz, wounding five workers

SIMFEROPOL, June 20. /TASS/. Gas is being supplied to Crimea in a routine manner after Ukraine’s strike on the drilling platforms of Chernomorneftegaz, there are no risks to gas supplies to the peninsula, Crimean leader Sergey Aksyonov told Rossiya-24 TV channel on Monday.

"So far, gas is being supplied as usual. We have a gas pipe laid from the mainland by the order of the president of the Russian Federation. If we suspend pumping in emergency mode now, we will have supply from the mainland," he said. "This gas fully replaces the entire amount. So, there are no risks whatsoever to Crimea‘s gas supply," the Crimean leader assured.

Earlier on Monday, Aksyonov reported that Ukraine had attacked drilling rigs owned by Chernomorneftegaz, wounding five workers.

A total of 109 employees manned the drilling rigs belonging to the Crimea-based oil and gas company Chernomorneftegaz at the time of Ukraine’s strike and 21 of them were evacuated. The search for the rest continues, Aksyonov said in a live broadcast on Rossiya-24.

Crimean senator Olga Kovitidi said that Ukrainian troops had carried out a strike against the deposit located 71 kilometers off the coast of Odessa. The offshore drilling rigs are away from the coast, far from Crimea’s tourist sites.

Chernomorneftegaz is an enterprise with 100% state participation. The main activity of the company is the production of natural gas and gas condensate. Chernomorneftegaz operates hydrocarbon fields on the shelf of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, as well as on the shores of the Crimean peninsula.

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