Naftogaz Group has secured 90 million cubic meters (mcm) of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will be delivered to Ukraine for the first time via Lithuania’s Klaipėda terminal, expanding Kyiv’s network of supply routes as Russian attacks on energy infrastructure continue.
The shipment, arranged in cooperation with Lithuania’s state-owned Ignitis Group, will be supplied throughout February and March in 2026, with Naftogaz independently organizing transportation from Lithuania to Ukraine.
The deal marks the first use of the Klaipėda LNG terminal – known as the “Independence” terminal – as a transit point for direct Ukrainian supply.
“In the current conditions, when Russia is attacking our energy and gas infrastructure on a virtually daily basis, it is critically important to diversify energy supply routes and strengthen energy security in order to guarantee stable gas supply to Ukrainian consumers under any circumstances,” the press release quoted First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas described the move as a step toward building a stable regional supply chain centered around what he called the “Amber Gas Corridor.”
“We aim to build on the experience of LNG supplies through the Lithuanian ‘Independence’ terminal and turn it into a stable, long-term LNG supply option via the regional supply corridor we have initiated – the ‘Amber Gas Corridor’,” the press release quotes Vaičiūnas.
Ukraine expands Baltic and Central European LNG routes
The Lithuanian corridor adds to a growing list of LNG entry points that Ukraine has opened over the past year as domestic gas production has been hit by Russian strikes.
On Feb. 24, Naftogaz completed its first-ever delivery of US LNG through Germany’s Deutsche ReGas terminal on Rügen Island in the Baltic Sea. The shipment, arranged with France’s TotalEnergies, was regasified in Germany and transported via Poland to Ukraine.
Naftogaz and Poland’s ORLEN total liquefied gas supplies through Poland are expected to reach 1 billion cubic meters this year, with LNG supplies through four shipments from late 2025 to January 2026.
The Polish route relies on the Świnoujście terminal, from where gas flows across the Polish-Ukrainian border into Ukraine’s transmission system.
In November, Naftogaz also signed a letter of intent with Greece’s DEPA Commercial to open a southern corridor via the ATLANTIC-SEE joint venture. Under that arrangement, US LNG arrives in Greece and travels through Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova before entering Ukraine – forming part of the so-called Vertical Corridor linking southeastern and central Europe.
Earlier in 2025, Naftogaz opened the Trans-Balkan route to import Azerbaijani gas via Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova under its first deal with SOCAR Energy Ukraine.
“This is yet another step toward diversifying gas supply routes for Ukraine,” the press release quoted Naftogaz CEO Sergiy Koretskyi. “We are consistently expanding our cooperation with European partners to secure reliable and flexible gas supplies amidst the war and systematic Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.”
Russia’s attacks increased the need to import gas to heat homes in Ukraine
Ukraine previously relied largely on domestic production to cover heating season demand. However, in 2025, repeated Russian strikes on gas extraction facilities significantly reduced output, forcing the country to ramp up imports.
The government has previously stated that Ukraine needs to import around 4.4 billion cubic meters of gas for the 2025-2026 heating season to offset production losses.
The figure expanded: natural gas imports to Ukraine reached 6.47 billion cubic meters in 2025, according to ExPro’s estimate as of Jan. 2, 2026.
Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko said last year that financing the additional imports would require about €2 billion ($2 billion), to be covered through domestic reserves and support from international partners, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and Norway.
Ukraine’s strategy in 2025, led by the new CEO Sergiy Koretskiy, has shifted from dependence on single transit directions to a multi-corridor system anchored in US LNG through European routes and regional infrastructure.