Ukraine boosts gas imports after Russian attacks
Ukraine plans to import up to 800 million cubic meters of gas from Europe in February and March this year, Reuters reported on Friday, February 21, citing a high-ranking industry source.
Kyiv is forced to buy gas from abroad to offset a 40% drop in domestic production caused by Russian missile attacks on energy infrastructure.
According to state-owned Naftogaz and Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, Russian strikes have damaged their facilities at least twice in February. Before these attacks, Ukraine produced around 52 million cubic meters of gas daily, while winter consumption ranged between 110 and 140 million cubic meters per day. Reuters reported that any shortfall in domestic production was covered by gas reserves stored in underground facilities.
Need for gas imports due to Russian attacks
"We could have done without gas imports this heating season, but attacks on our production facilities force us to buy gas to make up for the drop in domestic output," journalists reported, citing an anonymous source.
According to Ukraine’s gas transmission system operator, the country began ramping up gas imports in early February. Since then, import volumes have surged nearly tenfold, exceeding 20 million cubic meters per day. However, Reuters’ sources and Ukrainian energy officials have not disclosed the current level of domestic gas production.
Gas reserves in Ukraine’s storage facilities
Ukraine’s main gas production facilities are located in the Kharkiv and Poltava regions, making them vulnerable to Russian attacks, sources explained. A Reuters source stated that while Ukraine’s gas reserves are low, the country is expected to make it through the heating season without imposing restrictions on industry or households, thanks to a combination of domestic production and additional gas purchases.
Previously, experts warned that gas reserves in Ukraine’s underground storage facilities had fallen to a critical level—just 10% of their total capacity, estimated at 30 billion cubic meters. To ensure sufficient supply for the 2025/2026 heating season, gas storage must begin in the spring to build reserves up to 13 billion cubic meters, the source added.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
