Ukraine in January-August increased natural gas imports by 39.7 percent compared to the same period in 2018, to 9.604 billion cubic meters, according to recent data from JSC Ukrtransgaz.
According to the calculations of the Interfax-Ukraine agency, in particular, Slovakia in the eight months supplied 5.967 billion cubic meters of gas (up by 39.7 percent compared to January-August 2018), Hungary some 2.676 billion cubic meters (28.4 percent more), and Poland some 960.8 million cubic meters (85 percent more).
In August, imports amounted to 2.010 billion cubic meters of gas, which is 54.9 percent more than in the same month of 2018.
As reported, fears of a complete stop by Russia’s Gazprom of gas transit through Ukraine from January 2020 are forcing the country to enter the winter with higher than usual reserves in underground gas storage facilities (UGS). CEO of Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev has already announced plans for the accumulation of about 20 billion cubic meters of gas by November, which is 3-4 billion cubic meters more than in the previous years.
