Gazprom accusations that Ukraine is tapping unsanctioned gas require additional study and response by specialists, leader of the Party of Regions faction Oleksander Yefremov said.
"I know that in the difficult periods we took gas from our storage facilities," Yefremov said at a briefing.
Ukraine took Russian gas intended for European consumers at the beginning of this year, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said during a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday. Abnormally cold temperatures in Europe caused European consumers to step up their requests for Russian gas supplies, he said. "However, a significant amount of Russian gas sent to European consumers never got there. On certain days, up to 40 million cubic meters of gas remained on Ukrainian territory," Miller said. He added that "this inflicted financial and reputational damage on Gazprom."
"Once Gazprom has delivered all its planned gas transportation projects – South Stream, running at full capacity, Nord Stream, with two additional lines, and given the transportation capacity the company owns in Belarus and the Black Sea, Ukraine’s transit significance for Russian gas imports will be zero," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told reporters.
National oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy denies natural gas transiting to Europe is being tapped. In light of the reduction this month of deliveries of Russian gas to the country’s eastern border, Kyiv has suggested to Gazprom that Ukraine provide additional quantities of gas for European consumers from its storage facilities. Turkey has asked Ukraine for this, and Kyiv provided additional natural gas from underground storage.
