Ukraine wants to increase its gas imports by 30% following Russian attacks

Ukraine wants to increase its natural gas imports from Russia by 30% after Russian airstrikes damaged the gas infrastructure in Ukraine, which Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Hynchuk described as significant on Tuesday.

In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's energy industry. Last Friday, it attacked Ukraine's major gas fields. This has raised fears about a possible shortage of gas and the need to import additional gas.

Hrynchuk said at a press conference after meeting with Western Ambassadors that "we plan to increase our imports by about 30%" if we are able to expand our capacity.

We plan to import during the coldest months. However, the first priority is to secure the imports needed for October to December and, if required, other months.

It all depends on the speed of recovery

The Minister said that the volume of gas imports will depend on the speed at which Ukraine recovers its gas production and the intensity and targeting of the Russian attacks, as well as the potential damage to the transport system.

Hrynchuk added that a possible solution to the shortages is to increase LNG imports.

The government previously stated that Ukraine would import 4.6 billion cubic meters (bcms) of natural gas during the season 2025/26. Its storage facilities will begin the heating season with approximately 13.2 bcms of gas.

Former officials and analysts say that the country has already amassed about 13 billion dollars in reserves.

Hrynchuk stated that the attacks were targeted at regional gas infrastructure as well as power transmission in Ukraine's frontline areas and severe restrictions on energy supply had already been in place in several north regions.

Since its invasion in 2022, Russia has regularly bombed Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

The Minister said that the team she led had prepared scenarios of action for the case of Russian attack and had also restricted gas supplies to industry and the general population, something which hadn't been done during the entire war.

Hrynchuk stated that "we are prepared for all scenarios, even the worst case scenario." (Reporting and editing by Kirsten Doovan, Emelia Sithole Matarise, and Pavel Polityuk)

(source: Reuters)