The Norwegian government will provide nearly $100 million for Ukraine’s state-owned gas production company Naftogaz for importing natural gas to secure heating and electricity for households, businesses and industry.
As of April 2025, Russian strikes on Ukrainian gas infrastructure are estimated to have cut Ukraine’s domestic production by 50 percent, meaning the country will need to import more gas for the heating season from Europe. Since then, Ukraine has restored half of its production capacity, while Naftogaz is seeking alternative sources to secure winter supplies.
This month, Russian drones targeted a gas compressor at the Orlivka station, part of the newly launched gas corridor designed to help Ukraine address its energy deficit ahead of the 2025-2026 winter season.
Naftogaz will use the funds from Norway to build up gas reserves ahead of the heating season, Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported in a press release.
“This demonstrates the unwavering solidarity of our international partners and their willingness to assist in the implementation of energy projects and the strengthening of the independence of the Ukrainian energy sector,” the release quoted Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Grynychuk.
This aid follows previous support from Norway. In March, its government promised €138.6 million ($149.6 million) in grants for Naftogaz to prepare for the winter season.
“The timely and systematic assistance of the Norwegian government is extremely important for ensuring Ukraine’s energy security,” Grynychuk said.
Naftogaz pursues diverse measures to secure gas supply in winter
The Norwegian government is not the only partner to help Naftogaz restore operations after Kremlin attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and production facilities.
This month, the company received a $586 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to finance emergency natural gas purchases.
In preparation for the winter heating season, Naftogaz also took out a Hr.4.7 billion ($113 million) loan from Ukrgasbank, Ukraine’s state-owned bank specializing in energy.
Naftogaz previously announced a Hr.4.7 billion ($113 million) loan from PrivatBank, also for the heating season. It is relatively new for PrivatBank to lend such a large amount, as the bank started providing credits for large enterprises only a year ago, previously focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Naftogaz recently secured 140 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US to be transported by the Polish company ORLEN. That deal marks the fourth gas supply contract signed by Naftogaz this year, bringing the total shipped to 440 million cubic meters of LNG ahead of the winter heating season.
Apart from LNG, the state-owned company is speeding up gas injection into Ukraine’s underground storage facilities. By the start of the next heating season – Nov. 1 – Ukraine needs to accumulate at least 13 billion cubic meters of gas in storage. It has just over 9 billion cubic meters stored as of July 17, according to ExPro data.