Russian drones strike Kharkiv gas station as Ukraine readies for possible northern assault

The Russian Defence Ministry said its Geranium‑2 and Geranium‑4 unmanned aerial vehicles attacked a gas‑distribution facility near the village of Paniutino in the Kharkiv region. The strikes disabled several gas‑storage tanks, a pump station and a processing plant, and caused a large fire, according to the ministry.

Ukraine’s chief of the armed forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, warned that Russia could launch a new offensive from the north, potentially moving from Russia’s Bryansk oblast into Ukraine’s Chernihiv province. He said a direct thrust toward Kyiv was unlikely, but Ukrainian forces are preparing for attacks aimed at expanding the front and stretching Ukrainian reserves. Syrskyi also noted a recent 30% reduction in Russian front‑line activity and highlighted ongoing Ukrainian long‑range strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.