You're reading: Demchyshyn says halt in gas purchases from Russia won’t affect Ukraine’s preparations for winter

The halt in gas purchases from Russia will not affect Ukraine's preparations for the winter, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn told reporters.

“In actual fact the halt will in no way affect the safety of gas transportation or of supplies to Ukraine, or even preparations for the winter season,” Demchyshyn said.

He said Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities already contained 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas and that 60 million cubic meters was pumped in on a daily basis. “There are another hundred days until the heating season. If we continue to pump gas underground we’ll reach 18 bcm,” Demchyshyn said. This will be a little less than planned, but much more than the 16.6 bcm Ukraine has stored ahead of the last winter season.