Ukraine will import up to 800 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas from Europe in February and March to make up for lost domestic production caused by Russian missile attacks, Reuters reported on Feb. 21, citing a senior industry source.
Russian strikes have repeatedly hit Ukraine’s gas infrastructure over the course of the war, reducing production by as much as 40% at certain periods following an attack.
Ukraine's main gas production facilities are primarily located in frontline regions such as Kharkiv and neighbouring Poltava, making them vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian infrastructure with missiles and drones over the course of the war, including gas storage facilities in western Ukraine as well.
Before the onslaught of Russian attacks, Ukraine produced about 52 mcm of gas daily but needed 110–140 mcm per day in winter, covering the shortfall from storage.
Energy experts had previously warned that storage reserves were close to a critically low 10% of the storage capacity of around 30 billion cubic meters.
Earlier this month, Ukraine's Energy Ministry Herman Halushchenko said Russian strikes had severely impacted Ukraine's domestic gas production capacity, and that the country would need to import an estimated 1 billion cubic meters of gas by the end of the year. He declined to provide figures on the severity of the impact.
According to the Reuters, Ukraine needs to start pumping gas for next year's winter season in the spring, and that the country needs to accumulate about 13 billion cubic meters of gas.
Naftogaz and private energy company DTEK confirmed to Reuters that Russian forces have attacked and damaged their facilities at least twice in February.
At the beginning of this year, Ukraine halted its agreement with Russia to transport Russian gas to European customers using Ukraine's pipelines. The deal had expired at the end of 2024 and was not renewed by Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
