Key Russian Gas Hub Supplying Europe Ablaze as Kyiv and Moscow Trade Blame

[UPDATES] As of 13:00 Kyiv time, Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of deliberately blowing up the Sudzha gas measuring station in the Kursk region.

According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces destroyed the station around 12:20 a.m. Moscow time on March 21 while retreating from the area.

The ministry called the incident “a deliberate provocation” and claimed it was part of a series of recent attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure. It also suggested the attack was intended to “discredit the peaceful initiatives of the US president.”

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine dismissed the accusations of an attack on the gas metering station as “groundless.” The AFU claims that the Russian army itself fired artillery at the station.

“The Russians continue to fabricate numerous falsehoods in an attempt to mislead the international community. We urge you to trust only official sources, verify information, and not fall for manipulation,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated.

A massive fire broke out early Friday morning at the Sudzha gas metering station in Russia’s Kursk region, a key transit node for Russian gas supplies to the EU, reports Russian media.

Officials have not confirmed the cause, but pro-war Russian Telegram channels accuse Ukraine of an attack. Authorities in Kursk have not commented.

Other Topics of Interest

ATB Owner Butkevych to Acquire Formally Russian-Owned Company, Aeroc

Hennadii Butkevych, the founder of Ukraine’s largest supermarket chain ATB, adds Aeroc, a former Russian-owned company to his portfolio.

The Sudzha station was the only route for Russian gas supplies to the European Union from May 2022 to 2025. According to the BAZA Telegram channel, in October 2024 it handled 42.4 million cubic meters of gas per day through a 1.42 meter diameter pipeline.

The station came under Ukrainian control in August 2024 during the Kursk operation. As of March 20, Ukraine still controlled the station, according to the DeepState mapping project, even though the city was retaken by Russian forces on March 13.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces intercepted and destroyed four Ukrainian drones over Kursk on March 21. It also reported detecting 43 drones over Russian territory overnight but did not mention further attacks from Ukraine.

In August 2024, gas prices in Europe rose as fighting near the Sudzha station caused damage, as seen in satellite images.