General Hodges: Ukraine Needs To Step Up Attacks On Russia's Oil And Gas Infrastructure

This has a tremendous impact.

Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil and gas infrastructure are inflicting significant losses on Russia, so their intensity must be increased. According to the former commander of U.S. forces in Europe Ben Hodges, the Kremlin’s pressure on Washington to stop such attacks is evidence of their effectiveness.

The retired general made this statement in a commentary “Ukrinform” on the sidelines of the Warsaw Security Forum.

According to Hodges, Ukraine must not only continue strikes on Russian energy facilities but also increase their intensity. He considers the U.S. administration’s attempts to limit such actions by Kyiv to be misguided.

“Ukraine must increase the intensity of its strikes on Russian oil and gas infrastructure facilities. It’s clear that this is having a very significant effect. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be hearing all this pressure from the Kremlin on the White House demanding that it stop,” the general emphasized.

At the same time, Hodges expressed hope that even without U.S. support for such tactics, European partners would find ways to help Ukraine. He is convinced that European countries recognize the critical importance of Ukraine’s success in countering Russian aggression.

Commenting on the energy truce between Ukraine and Russia announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, the general called it a “fantasy” not based on any real agreements.

Hodges recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had repeatedly proposed a ceasefire, but Russia had rejected these proposals. He also expressed his conviction that Moscow would not honor any agreements without coercion.

“This was a classic ‘Trump-style’ announcement of something not based on any facts. And, of course, it would have been a terrible agreement in any case,” the former commander said.

Separately, the general criticized Trump’s remarks about a change in Ukraine’s leadership, calling such interference in the country’s internal affairs inappropriate. According to him, the U.S. president should focus on the U.S. elections, which will take place in a few weeks.

Assessing the situation on the front lines, Hodges stated that Ukrainian forces had managed to halt Russian ground offensive operations.

At the same time, he said, countering Russian airstrikes against the civilian population and critical infrastructure remains a serious challenge.

The general noted that Ukraine is working to strengthen its relevant defense capabilities, while partner nations are seeking additional ways to provide assistance. However, he emphasized that protecting against Russian airstrikes remains an extremely difficult task.

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