As Russia pummels Ukraine’s energy systems, Kyiv hopes US gas will fill the gap

(26 Nov 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Central Ukraine, Ukraine - 18 November 2025
1. Various of gas facility destroyed by Russian attack, Naftogaz worker Viktor walking around site
2. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Viktor (no last name given), Naftogaz worker:
"The attack was combined, both with missiles and Shaheds (drones). Including the tank farm where we are located was attacked with missiles. We see what consequences occurred after these arrivals."
3. Close of destruction
4. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Viktor (no last name given), Naftogaz worker:
"It's very painful to watch all this, because I saw the formation, construction, operation, all possible troubles, victories of this entrepreneur. It's very sad to watch this, but we have what we have. We have to keep working."
5. Wide of Viktor
6. Close of destruction 
7. Various of Viktor walking around site
8. Close of apparent shrapnel holes on pipe 

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine - 21 November 2025
9. Mid of wall, reading (English): "Naftogaz Group"
10. Various of Naftogaz’s CEO Serhii Koretskyi talking to AP journalists 
11. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Serhii Koretskyi, Naftogaz’s CEO:
"The latest attacks have become much more massive, combined, the number of missiles and Shaheds (drones) has increased many times. We have two waves of large massive attacks this year. The wave was in February and March of this year, when more than 40% of Ukrainian gas production was destroyed. And in early October of this year we had massive combined attacks again, the largest in the history of a full-scale invasion. And again, unfortunately, we have significant destruction and damage to the gas infrastructure."
12. Close of Koretskyi's hands 
13. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Serhii Koretskyi, Naftogaz’s CEO:
"Given this destruction, this shelling, we have lost a large part of Ukrainian gas production, so to sustainably pass the heating season, we are forced to import additional volumes of gas. We have calculated that the approximate need is 4.4 billion cubic meters of gas during the heating season."
14. Various of gas pipes
15. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Serhii Koretskyi, Naftogaz’s CEO:
"About 30% (import additional volumes of gas) remains uncovered, we are working on it. We have high hopes for the beginning of active practical cooperation with American financial institutions."
16. Various of destroyed facility 
17. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian), Serhii Koretskyi, Naftogaz’s CEO:
"Due to the fact that gas infrastructure has nothing to do with military needs, the destruction of gas production, gas storage, and gas distribution has only one goal - maniacal terrorist attacks to leave Ukrainians without heat, gas, and electricity this winter."
18. Various of destroyed facility 
19. Close of Shahed drone debris
STORYLINE:
The soil surrounding the Naftogaz gas facility in central Ukraine was once all pitch-black before much of it was burned to a rusty red by a massive Russian drone and missile assault.

Scattered remnants of Shahed drones littered the reservoir designated for storing tanks of liquefied propane gas.

Nearly a month after the October 30 attack, several tanks were empty and in ruins.

“It's very painful to watch all this, because I saw the formation, construction, operation, all possible troubles, victories of this entrepreneur,” said Victor, who has worked at the facility for 28 years and who cannot be named in full for security reasons.

“But we have what we have. We have to keep working.”

The Associated Press gained exclusive access to Naftogaz’s gas extraction fields in central Ukraine last week.












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