A huge fire erupts in Russia’s largest gas field when a pipe bursts, threatening supplies to Europe
- Fire broke out at 2.30am after a pipe burst in the huge Urengoyskoye gas field in Russia
- A plume of flames was filmed shooting up into the sky before the fire was extinguished around 4am
- The Urengoyskoye gas field supplies Europe via the Yamal-Europe pipeline
- Blaze will fuel fears of supply disruptions and price hikes amid the energy crisis
Russia’s largest gas field is on fire after a pipe burst early Thursday, sending a huge plume of flames into the sky.
Energy giant Gazprom said the fire broke out around 2.30am at the Urengoyskoye gas field in Siberia’s Yamalo-Nenets region.
Urengoyskoye is the world’s largest active gas field, with supplies going to Europe mainly through the Yamal-Europe pipeline.
Though Gazprom says the fire has been contained, the news will inevitably raise fears of supply disruptions and further price hikes in Europe, which is already in the midst of an energy crisis.
Russia’s largest gas field – Urengoyskoye in Siberia – burst into flames today after a pipe burst around 2.30am sending a plume of flames into the sky
The last time a fire ravaged the region – in August last year – it resulted in a significant drop in production and a spike in prices.
However, this fire occurred at a processing plant through which large volumes of natural gas are routed on its way to Europe.
Gazprom said it was still analyzing the extent of the damage, but there was no disruption to supplies.
“The fire occurred at 2:30 a.m. on June 16,” a spokesman said. “There were no injuries. The fire was out by 4 a.m.
It is the latest in a string of fires at key Russian facilities amid the war with Ukraine that have led to suspected sabotage.
Blazes have largely targeted facilities with military or government ties, including at least one other that struck a pipeline supplying Europe.
Two fires broke out at the Transneft-Druzhba oil depot in the city of Bryansk early April 25 following suspected Ukrainian rocket attacks.
The fire was extinguished by 4 a.m. and no one was injured, state energy giant Gazprom said as engineers began assessing the damage
Urengoyskoye (pictured) is a key source of gas flowing to Europe via the Yamal-Europe pipeline, raising fears of supply disruptions and price hikes
The Druzhba pipeline is one of the main routes for Russian oil to Europe, and the attack came as the EU debated an embargo on the fuel.
Ukraine has not commented on any of the fires, and it’s unclear if all of them were coordinated from Kyiv.
However, locations near the Ukrainian border are believed to have been attacked with rockets, drones and helicopters.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian special forces are said to be operating behind Russian lines to hamper its military efforts.
And some fires are considered the actions of Russians who oppose the war or fear being drafted into combat.
More than a dozen military enlistment offices, which register Russian conscripts aged between 18 and 27 to serve in the armed forces for a year, were attacked with Molotov cocktails.