European natural gas extended its rally moving near its highest level this yearas the war in Ukraine escalates, with Ukrainian forces firing British cruise missiles at military targets inside Russia for the first timeafter yesterday’s attack with ATACMS.

Her hit Ukrainian using Storm Shadow missiles was approved in response to Russia which deployed North Korean troops against Ukraine, a move by Moscow that the British government saw as an escalation of the conflict, according to a Bloomberg source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

European gas prices react to geopolitical events. While supplies of Russian natural gas through Ukraine to Central Europe continue as normal, traders are watching for any changes in the current supply situation as the transit agreement between Kyiv and Moscow expires at the end of this year.

The Dutch natural gas contract for December delivery, a benchmark for Europe, rose more than 2% to 46.75 euros per megawatt hour.