Ukrainian Energy Minister’s Statement on Gas Transit

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – The transit route for Russian gas deliveries to Europe via Ukraine is still functioning, Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko said on Thursday after reports of hostilities at the Sudzha gas transit station.

He mentioned that Ukraine had not been contacted by Russia regarding the gas transit situation.

Russia reported on Wednesday that intense battles were occurring against Ukrainian forces near the major natural gas transmission hub at Sudzha, marking one of the largest incursions into Russian territory since the war began.

The Sudzha gas transfer and measuring stations in the Kursk region of Russia are the only entry point for Russian natural gas into the Ukrainian gas transmission system for onward transport to Europe.

Ukraine’s gas transmission operator stated that Russian natural gas continues to transit to Europe via Ukraine normally. Later, the operator reported that Russia’s Gazprom planned to ship about 41.7 million cubic meters of gas via Ukraine on Friday, an increase from the planned 37.25 million cubic meters on Thursday.

In May 2022, at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian transit operator ceased transporting gas through an alternative branch line at the Sokhranivka transit point near the Luhansk region in the east.

Ukraine accused Russian forces of taking gas transiting through Ukraine and redirecting it to two Russia-backed separatist regions in the east.

Following the closure of Sokhranivka, transit volumes decreased by a quarter as Gazprom claimed it could not divert volumes to Sudzha.

The agreement for Russian gas transit to Europe through Ukraine is set to expire in 2024, and Kyiv has stated it has no intention of extending it or negotiating a new deal.