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For several months, social media has been flooded with images of long queues at petrol stations and exploding fuel storage tanks – not only in the Persian Gulf, but also in Europe. These scenes are unfolding in Russia itself, one of the most energy-rich countries in the world. Many had grown accustomed to Ukrainian energy infrastructure being targeted during the Russian invasion. However, circumstances have shifted, and Russia now finds itself forced to defend against aerial strikes targeting its own critical infrastructure. This naturally raises key questions: what prompted this Ukrainian strategy, why focus on the oil sector, and what impact is this having on Russian energy?

On 25 December, another suspected Russian sabotage action against the infrastructure linking NATO countries took place, when the Estlink 2 electricity cable between Estonia and Finland was cut.

After the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, energy security became a particularly sensitive issue for Europe and seeking ways to abandon Russian energy resources became a priority. Events such as the bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in September 2022 continued to increase attention to this topic in Europe. Such actions in times of war especially attract the attention of Western governments and associations.

Europe has long relied on Russian energy resources. This was often based on the convenience that the interdependence that was to emerge from intensive trade would allow Russia to become a player abiding by international rules. This belief collapsed when the West began to impose sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.