Ukraine passes Russian transit gas through only one inlet. This was announced on the broadcast of the TV channel on Wednesday, May 11, by the official representative of Gazprom, Sergey Kupriyanov. “Russia 24”.
“Ukraine has left only one entrance to Europe for transit, which significantly reduces the reliability of its gas supply,” he said.
According to him, the volume of gas entering Germany via Ukraine decreased by 25% compared to May 10.
Force majeure in Ukraine…
On Tuesday, the “Ukrainian gas transmission system operator” (OGTS) reported that the crossing over the Sohranivka gas metering station and the Novopskov border compressor station in the Lugansk region ended from 7 am on 11 May. The latter accounted for about a third of the gas supplied to Europe – up to 32.6 million cubic meters. m per day
The Ukrainian side described these steps as “the beginning of force majeure, which makes it impossible to further transport gas via Sokhranivka and Novopskov, which are currently under Russian control”.
OGTS noted that it is possible to temporarily transfer capacities from Sokhranivka to the Sudzha port, located in the Ukrainian-controlled region, in order to fulfill its obligations to European companies.
… unseen in Russia
However, Gazprom said that they had received a notification from OGTS the previous day, but saw no reason to stop the fuel supply via Sokhranivka. According to the Russian company, both this GIS and Novopskov continue to work. At the same time, the holding company claims that there is no technological ability to transfer the transition to Sudzha.
Gazprom emphasized that they fully comply with all obligations in contracts for European consumers and pay for the use of the Ukrainian GTS.
“Ukrainian experts have been working quietly all this time in Sokhranivka GIS and Novopskov CS, and they continue to do so, the passage through Sokhranivka has been fully achieved, there have been no complaints from the opposite parties,” said Kupriyanov.
after the start special military operation In Ukraine, Russia and Western countries increased the pressure on Moscow to impose sanctions. Primarily, the restrictive measures affected the banking sector and the supply of high-tech products. Many brands announced their withdrawal from Russia.
Against this background, Vladimir Putin issued a decree on the transfer of gas supply payments to “unfriendly countries” in rubles – so far only a few countries agree with this plan. Gas transit through the territory of Ukraine did not stop, and Gazprom continued deliveries “in accordance with all contracts.”
Which contract with Ukraine is valid?
In December 2019, the Russian and Ukrainian parties signed a five-year contract until the end of 2024. The total volume of pumping through it should be 225 billion cubic meters of gas. At the same time, the agreement for 2021-2024 provides 40 billion cubic meters per year.
Last summer, Gazprom chairman of the board, Alexei Miller, said that he considered the possibility of increasing the volume of gas transit through Ukraine after the expiration of the contract, above existing obligations.
However, according to him, this issue should be resolved under market conditions and market prices. He noted that the involvement of the German partners in the negotiation process is “fully justified, given the EU’s set plans for the decarbonisation of the economy”.
On December 15, 2021, the Russian holding emphasized that Gazprom “continues to reliably supply gas to its European consumers through various routes, including Ukraine.”
Other routes
Over domain Gazprom’s main tasks in the European market are called “maintaining its leading positions, ensuring reliable gas supply and increasing the efficiency of sales activities.”
“European countries have been the most important consumers of Russian gas for more than 50 years. Gazprom is the largest gas exporter to the European market.
To improve the reliability of supplies, Gazprom launched the implementation of Nord Stream gas transmission projects (a gas pipeline directly connecting the gas transmission systems of Russia and Europe, brought to design capacity in 2012) and Turkish Stream (gas pipeline). From Russia via the Black Sea to Turkey, the first line is for gas supply to Turkish consumers, the second – for gas supplies to the countries of Southern and Southeast Europe, gas supply has been carried out since January 2020), the Russian holding company said in a statement.
In 2022, the certification of another gas pipeline from Russia to EU countries, Nord Stream 2, was expected to be completed. The project is currently on hold.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.