European Gas Prices Surge After Kursk Region Pumping Station Attack

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated following an explosion at the Sudzha gas metering station in Russia's Kursk region, with both sides blaming each other for the attack. European natural gas prices surged after the incident, which is part of a pipeline that previously supplied gas to Europe. Russia accused Ukraine of sabotage, describing the act as terrorism, while Ukraine claimed that Russian forces were responsible for the explosion as a form of provocation. The incident has raised concerns over the stability of recent ceasefire discussions and the future of Russian gas supplies to Europe, which have already been curtailed since the beginning of the year. Experts suggest that repairing the damage could take weeks to years, and the prospects of resuming gas flows depend more on political solutions than on infrastructure alone. Gazprom, which previously controlled the transit point, did not provide comments on the situation, reflecting ongoing uncertainties in the energy market.