Ukraine’s state-owned energy and fuel company Naftogaz Group completed the first delivery of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) through a German terminal to Ukraine. The operation was conducted in partnership with French multinational integrated oil and gas company TotalEnergies and used the Deutsche ReGas LNG terminal on Rügen Island in the Baltic Sea.
While Ukraine previously imported gas from other directions, this marks the first time a German LNG terminal has been used as a direct transit point for the country’s supply.
Following regasification at the German terminal, the company transported gas through pipelines across Poland. According to Naftogaz’s press release, the resource will be available to meet Ukraine’s energy demand throughout February.
“This winter is the most challenging since the start of the war due to constant shelling of gas infrastructure and extremely cold weather,” Serhiy Koretskyi, CEO of Naftogaz, is quoted as saying in a press release. He noted that the agreement is considered a first step toward a long-term partnership aimed at diversifying import routes for 2026.
The Rügen terminal is currently the only privately funded and operated LNG facility in Germany. Ingo Wagner, Chairman of Deutsche ReGas, said in a press release that the terminal’s location is of strategic importance not only for the German market but also for the energy security of neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe.
The move comes as Ukraine seeks more reliable routes through Western partners to stabilize energy supply during peak winter consumption.
Ukraine’s Expanding LNG Supply Corridors
The shipment is part of a broader strategy to diversify Ukraine’s energy sources. Naftogaz and Poland’s ORLEN signed a contract for 300 million cubic meters of US LNG for the Q1 of 2026, with total liquefied gas supplies through Poland expected to reach 1 billion cubic meters this year. In late January, approximately 100 million cubic meters of US LNG already entered the Ukrainian system through this Polish partnership.
Additionally, Naftogaz signed a letter of intent with Greece’s DEPA Commercial to establish a new “energy bridge” via the ATLANTIC-SEE joint venture. This route will allow US LNG to arrive in Greece and travel through Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova to Ukraine, bypassing traditional intermediaries.
Ukraine needs to import approximately 4.4 billion cubic meters of gas for the 2025-2026 winter season to compensate for production losses caused by Russian strikes, as per last year’s publicly voiced figures. To finance these imports, the country requires around €2 billion ($2.3 billion), Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko said during a government Q&A session last year. She stated that it will be covered through domestic reserves and international support from partners such as the EBRD, EIB, and Norway.