Operator data shows that Ukraine increased its gas imports on Thursday by 40%.
The operator of the national gas transmission system announced that Ukraine would increase its gas imports on Thursday by almost 40%, to 13,3 million cubic meters. This is due to an increased import from Hungary.
After Russian missiles damaged the production facilities to the east of Ukraine, Ukraine was forced to increase gas imports and withdraw more gas from storage this winter and in the spring.
According to data from the operator, Ukraine will import 9,8 mcm (million cubic meters) of gas from Hungary on Thursday and 3.5 million cubic metres from Poland. Kyiv imported gas from Hungary on Wednesday and Poland on Thursday.
Serhiy Makovon, the former head of Ukraine's gas transit operator, stated last month that the country would need to import up 6.3 billion cubic meters of gas to meet its winter needs in 2025/26, as the reserves had fallen to an all-time low because of war-related damages to certain facilities.
He said that Ukraine will need to spend up to $3 billion in order to purchase such large volumes of gas.
Naftogaz, Ukraine's oil and gas state company, said it is in discussions with the government and international financing institutions to raise $1. billion to buy over 2 billion cubic meters of gas for 2025/26 heating seasons.
Naftogaz said that it has also contracted for 300 mcm American LNG, with deliveries coming from Poland's Orlen. ($1 = 0.8848 euro) (Reporting and editing by Emelia Sithole Matarise; reporting by Pavel Polityuk)
(source: Reuters)
