Gazprom attempted again today to transit gas to the Balkans, Moldova and Slovakia through the Sudzha pumping station, which provides the most direct route to those customers, but Naftogaz Ukrainy wanted gas to go to other pumping stations which mostly serve domestic Ukrainian pipelines.   

Ukraine also wanted Gazprom to pump in an extra 140 mcm of gas into the system to repressurize it – this is to replace the gas which was sitting in the pipelines when Gazprom ceased to be able to supply its European customers, and is now unaccountably missing, indicating those volumes have been illegally siphoned out of the system.

Gazprom’s statement follows:

Ukraine not transiting Russian gas to Europe

Today at 02:00 hours Gazprom submitted to the Unified Dispatcher Department (ODU) of Naftogaz Ukrainy another application for the transit of 98.8 million cubic meters of gas per day beginning from 10:00 hours through GIS Sudzha pumping station. 13.9 million cubic meters of the amount are intended for Moldovan consumers, 62.7 million cubic meters for the Balkans via GIS Orlovka, and 22.2 million cubic meters through GIS Uzhorod for Slovak consumers.

In response, shift leader at the ODU Alexander Sidorenko refused to take in Russian gas through GIS Sudzha. The beginning of the transit was again conditional on gas supplies being sent through GIS Pisarevka and Valuiki, which are mostly designated for domestic consumption in Ukraine, as well as on the restoration of gas reserves in the transit trunk lines of Naftogaz Ukrainy in the amount of 140 million cubic meters.

The systematic lame excuses of Naftogaz Ukrainy confirm that Ukraine is incapable of compensating for the Russian gas it unlawfully siphoned off and to resume the transit. 

On the Russian side taps have been opened at GIS Sudzha towards Ukrainian gas transportation system, the pressure is operational and Gazprom is ready to supply gas to European consumers at any moment.