Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's "shadow fleet," 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
The government has approved "reform roadmaps in the rule of law, public administration, and democratic institutions, as well as Ukraine’s negotiation position," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The statement did not name the ex-official by name, but details of the case indicate it relates to Oleh Hladkovsky, a former deputy secretary of Ukraine's top security body who has been wanted since mid-April.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv. "And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
Gas transport pipes and processing infrastructure stands at a refinery operated by DK Ukrgazvydobuvannia, a unit of Naftogaz, in Poltava on July 21, 2017. (Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
With a deal to transport Russian gas through Ukraine set to expire at the end of the year, Ukraine’s gas transit network could soon come under Russian attacks, warned Dmytro Lyppa, CEO of the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine, though the probability that gas transport is halted is “very low,” he said.
“We believe the risks of attacks on our facilities are significantly increasing with the suspension of transit,” said Lyppa on Dec. 4, speaking at the Energy Security Dialogue 2024 in Kyiv organised by the DiXi Group think tank. “We are taking all measures to ensure the security of our facilities.”
However, it is unlikely that the crisis Ukraine is experiencing in its energy sector due to large-scale attacks by Russia will be replicated in the gas sector, he added.
“We believe that the system is able to withstand quite significant loads in case of of certain events,” said Lyppa. “Let me remind you that a system was built for almost 150 billion cubic meters per year for transportation. We are currently still transporting 14-15, let's say,” said Lyppa.
“Let's put it this way: In order to stop this (flow), it would be a really apocalyptic scenario, but its probability is very low.”
Russia has continued to sell gas to Europe by transporting it via Ukraine’s network of gas pipelines under a 2019 agreement. The deal is set to expire at the end of the year, and Ukraine has repeatedly said it will not extend the deal.
The full-scale Russian invasion marked a turning point, forcing an unprecedented shift in Europe’s energy policy to reduce their dependence on Russia.
With European countries taking steps to diversify their energy sources, the Russia’s share of gas among EU natural gas imports dropped from 45% in 2021 to 15% last year.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Martin Fornusek
