Ukraine has targeted a significant Russian oil facility, dealing a fresh setback to Moscow’s energy infrastructure as Russia intensifies its bombardment of Ukrainian cities, indicating that the conflict is far from easing.

The attack late Thursday targeted the Unecha oil pumping station situated in Russia’s Bryansk region, igniting a large fire at a crucial segment of the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which transports oil from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia.

The attack could halt supplies for at least five days, officials warned, plunging parts of Europe into uncertainty over energy security.

The assault comes as Russia continues its own devastating campaign against Ukraine’s energy grid, repeatedly hitting gas infrastructure.

Ukraine has been increasingly utilizing long-range weaponry to strike refineries and pipelines within Russia, aiming to disrupt the energy exports that finance Putin’s war efforts.

Meanwhile, Putin’s forces also rained down strikes on Kostiantynivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region on Friday.

The attacks lasted several hours and caused major damage to civilian infrastructure, according to Serhiy Horbunov, the head of the regional military administration. 

Amid the carnage, an EU official has warned that Russia is setting a trap with its peace talk demands.

The fighting has now spilled into a dangerous battle for energy dominance, sending Russian fuel prices to record highs in recent days

Hungary and Slovakia immediately sounded the alarm after Thursday’s strike and shared concerns with the European Commission. 

The foreign ministers of the two countries wrote in a joint letter: ‘The physical and geographical reality is that without this pipeline, the safe supply of our countries is simply not possible.’ 

Ukraine’s military confirmed the Unecha hit, saying it was carried out by the country’s unmanned systems forces. 

Commander Robert Brovdi, known as Magyar, posted footage on Telegram showing a massive fire at what appeared to be a fuel storage facility, although the location could not be verified.

A Russian industry insider admitted the pipeline could be out of action for several days. 

The latest hit follows an earlier stoppage on Monday and Tuesday, making it the second time in a week that oil flows along Druzhba have been halted.

 Meanwhile, in Russia’s latest shelling of Ukrainian cities, local authorities said 21 multi storey-buildings, private homes, a store, and a gas station were all damaged. 

Horrific pictures show fire crew members racing up buildings on ladders to rescue trapped residents.  

The latest attacks come as EU’s foreign policy chief has warned that any plan requiring Ukraine to cede territory to Moscow would amount to falling for a Kremlin trap.

Kajas Kallas told the BBC that discussions about handing Putin concessions is ‘exactly the trap that Russia wants us to walk into.’

She said: ‘I mean, the discussion all about what Ukraine should give up, what the concessions that Ukraine is willing to (make), whereas we are forgetting that Russia has not made one single concession and they are the ones who are the aggressor here, they are the ones who are brutally attacking another country and killing people.’

She added that security guarantees that will ensure that Ukraine is not attacked again seemed to be ‘some way off in terms of pinning that down’.

She added: ‘Russia is just dragging feet. It’s clear that Russia does not want peace. President Trump has been repeatedly saying that the killing has to stop and Putin is just laughing, not stopping the killing, but increasing the killing.’

Donald Trump has tried to push forward a deal, meeting Putin in Alaska last week before hosting Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Washington on Monday, but progress has stalled. 

Ukraine insists on ironclad Western security guarantees to prevent another invasion, while Moscow has refused to make any concessions.

The brutal conflict is now in its fourth year and has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.