Ukraine began imports of Russian gas

Ukraine began to receive natural gas from Russia, according to the public relations department of PJSC Ukrtransgaz. From Tuesday, during December, 43.5 million cubic meters of natural gas under a contract with Gazprom OJSC will act for the needs of Ukraine consumers.

Import of gas from Russia started two days earlier on the basis of a new application from NAK Naftogaz Ukraine, the message says. Earlier, Ukrainian state holding planned to start importing Russian gas from December 11.

Gas will flow through the gas measuring stations "Suda" and "Mozyr".

On December 5, Naftogaz of Ukraine transferred to Gazprom $ 378 million prepayments for the supply of 1 billion cubic meters of Russian gas. On Monday, Gazprom confirmed the receipt of money.

On weekends, the Ukrainian side stated that it intends to intention to start imports not from Monday, but from Thursday. The official representative of Gazprom Sergey Kupriyanov said that on Monday, the application of Ukraine did not receive the already paid gas. He expressed his fear that the ongoing gas selection from underground storages multiplies the risks of transit to Europe during future cold weather.

On Monday, Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak said that Russia received an application from Ukraine for the supply of 1.5 thousand megawatts of electricity . However, he did not specify whether Russia is ready to supply this amount of electricity to Ukraine.

"There is an application of the Ukrainian side for about 1.5 thousand megavatts. We have not yet stopped the renections, about 500 MW in each direction with zero balance. Now Ukraine wants us to expand our deliveries to cover the deficiency that is formed in Ukraine," the minister said.

For the successful passage of the winter period, Ukraine must purchase 4 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia, the minister said. According to him, this figure was voiced by the Ukrainian side during the trilateral negotiations in Brussels in the fall.