Russian Helium Site Still Intact After Drone Attack, Images Show
(Bloomberg) -- A site that produces helium for Russia’s arms and aerospace industries appears to be largely intact following a Ukranian drone attack last week, satellite imagery shows.
Ukrainian drones targeted Gazprom PJSC’s plant in the Orenburg region, about 900 miles southeast of Moscow on Aug. 11. A Kyiv official said at the time that the facility was targeted for its role in producing the gas, a component for Russia’s space and aviation industries, and also for missile making.
The strike appears to have had “little or no impact on helium production,” said Phil Kornbluth, president of US-based Kornbluth Helium Consulting, which follows the industry. The facility accounts for less than 14% of the nation’s output of the gas, making it the smallest of three such plants in Russia, he said.
Kornbluth’s analysis tallies with satellite images of the facility — taken before and after the attack — which don’t appear to indicate visible damage.
Gazprom didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment.
Ukraine has been launching near-daily strikes on Russian energy facilities in an effort to curb Moscow’s oil exports, crude-refining capacity, as well as supplies to the Kremlin’s military forces. Russia, meanwhile, has resumed attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure after a short lull before and after last week’s Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s attacks are often targeted, meaning there’s a possibility the plant sustained damage that isn’t clear in the satellite imagery.
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