{
  "id": 14991277,
  "title": "Russian strikes batter all 6 Smart Holding units in Ukraine, gas assets hit hardest – CEO",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/russian-strikes-batter-all-6-smart-holding-units-in-ukraine-gas",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T16:27:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Interfax-Ukraine",
    "slug": "interfax-ukraine",
    "url": "https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/economic/1221680.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "All six units of Smart Holding, a Ukrainian business conglomerate, have endured losses due to the ongoing Russian conflict, with gas production being the most severely impacted, according to CEO Ivan Herasymovych. The conglomerate operates through six business segments, encompassing over 55 companies in Ukraine, each experiencing financial setbacks and suffering from Russian attacks. The primary target of these strikes has been gas production assets, with four missiles launched at facilities in Kharkiv and 32 Shahed drones fired. Herasymovych revealed that in a single week in September, the group lost two major Amstor shopping malls in Zaporizhia, each stretching 10,000 square meters. He lamented the inability to seek compensation from the state due to flawed legal and sanctions mechanisms, emphasizing that the group relies solely on its resources to survive. Furthermore, Herasymovych reiterated his call for unblocking gas production at Smart Energy's assets in Poltava, noting that the state budget has incurred a loss of UAH 3.1 billion due to downtime in Kharkiv and Poltava. Special permits for gas production at Smart Energy's assets in Kharkiv were initially suspended in April 2023 but were reinstated 18 months later; however, in January 2025, permits for the Poltava assets were suspended once again. The suspensions were based on personal sanctions imposed on Smart Holding's owner, Vadim Novinsky, and his trustees, Proteas Trustee Services Limited and Proteas Trustees Limited, along with their Cypriot shareholders. Smart Energy, a subsidiary of Smart Holding, was once one of Ukraine's leading private gas producers, extracting over 1 million cubic meters of gas daily prior to Russia's military aggression. The hydrocarbon reserves at Smart Energy's assets were estimated at 22.633 billion cubic meters of gas and 3.722 million tonnes of condensate before the war.",
  "summary": "All six of Smart Holding's business segments in Ukraine have suffered losses of one kind or another as a result of the war, with gas production hit particularly hard, the group's CEO Ivan Herasymovych said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "Putin hands French flooring giant Tarkett’s Russian assets to former regional official who fought in Ukraine. New owner asks journalists not to write about it.",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/putin-hands-french-flooring-giant-tarketts-russian-assets-to-former",
        "published": "2026-10-16T13:33:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Zelensky's ask: 300 Patriot missiles, 70 billion euros, and Russian assets",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/zelenskys-ask-300-patriot-missiles-70-billion-euros-and-russian-assets",
        "published": "2026-10-16T14:59:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}