Sudden blaze in Sudzha: a strategic setback for Russia
A fire broke out overnight at the Sudzha gas station, which before the conflict was a key transit point for gas from Russia to Europe. Moscow immediately accused Kyiv of the attack. "The Russians could have done it, wanting to blame the Ukrainians," says Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak, former commander of the Land Forces. Meanwhile, energy expert Jakub Wiech emphasizes that the attack is mainly a problem for Russia itself.
A large fire broke out overnight in the Kursk region of Russia. According to local media reports, the Sudzha gas measurement station in Russia was damaged. In 2023, it was one of the few points through which Russian gas still reached Europe, but in significantly smaller amounts than before the conflict. After the attack, Russia immediately accused Kyiv.
"The gas hub in Sudzha is indeed a very important element of Russian gas supplies to Europe. However, we must remember that since the beginning of this year, gas from this route to Europe has not been flowing. Of the four main transit routes to Europe that the Russians had, only one is currently working - Turkish Stream," recalls Jakub Wiech, an energy expert in an interview with Wirtualna Polska.
Attack in Sudzha: "Above all, a problem for Russia"
Turkish Stream is a pipeline running along the bottom of the Black Sea from Russia to Turkey. The first line supplies gas to the Turkish market, the second to the European market.
The Sudzha gas measurement station is part of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod pipeline, which until January 1 was used by Russia to transport gas through Ukraine to Europe. At the beginning of this year, Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas through its territory due to national security concerns.
Wiech assesses that the topic of returning to gas transit through Ukraine may be a part of negotiations between Russia and the U.S., but, as he adds, at this stage, it is only speculation.
"The destruction of the station in Sudzha is primarily a problem for Russia at this time, because it is part of the internal Russian gas infrastructure. It is the Russians who may potentially have disruptions in their gas network," emphasizes the expert.
"We didn't even have any significant fluctuation in gas prices on the European exchange today, so this shows that Sudzha is not important from our point of view," summarizes Wiech.
Russian infrastructure in Sudzha on fire: "It's about discrediting Ukraine"
After the fire in Sudzha, the Ukrainian General Staff assured that its forces had nothing to do with the attack, for which Russia accuses Ukraine. Former Land Forces Commander General Waldemar Skrzypczak emphasizes in an interview with WP that the incident may have propaganda significance for the Kremlin.
Until recently, Sudzha in the Kursk region was controlled by Ukrainian forces, which withdrew from this town, though they still remain in a small part of this region of Russia.
According to the general, the trust with which Trump treats Putin's declarations will end badly for the entire United States.
"Russia will use Trump and humiliate him in such a way that the United States will never return to its role as a hegemon," says Gen. Skrzypczak.
