Ukraine's gas production drops by 40% after Russian missile strikes – Reuters
Ukraine's gas production has decreased by 40% following Russian missile strikes. To compensate for the decline in domestic production, Ukraine plans to import up to 800 million cubic meters of gas from Europe in February and March.
Reuters reports this.
"We could do without imports this heating season, but the attacks on production are forcing us to import gas to compensate for this reduction in domestic production," said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive wartime matters.
Since its invasion in 2022, Russia has launched numerous missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's electricity sector, and in recent weeks, it has intensified its focus on targeting gas fields. State-owned Naftogaz and major private energy company DTEK reported that their facilities were attacked and damaged by Russian forces at least twice in February.
Before these strikes, Ukraine's gas production stood at approximately 52 million cubic meters daily, while winter consumption ranged between 110 and 140 million cubic meters daily. The deficit was managed through reserves from gas storage facilities.
The operator of Ukraine's gas transmission systems says the country began increasing gas imports in early February, and since then, volumes have increased almost 10-fold, exceeding 20 million cubic meters per day.
The source and energy officials would not disclose the current level of gas production. Ukraine mainly uses gas to heat homes and meet domestic needs.
Ukraine's main gas production facilities are vulnerable to Russian attacks because they are located in the frontline Kharkiv region and neighboring Poltava region.
The source said that gas reserves in Ukraine's storage facilities are small. Still, with planned imports and domestic gas production, the country can survive the heating season, which usually starts in late October and ends in April, without imposing any restrictions on industry and households.
It should be noted that Ukraine needs to start pumping gas for the 2025/26 winter season in the spring and accumulate about 13 billion cubic meters of gas. At the beginning of the current season, Ukraine had 12.9 billion cubic meters of gas in its storage facilities.
The source reported that it is not yet clear how much gas can be imported after March, as this will depend on the level of local production, which will be directly affected by the intensity of Russian missile strikes.
Notably, the cost of gas in Europe is currently about $525 per thousand cubic meters. Thus, 800 million cubic meters will cost Ukraine approximately $420 million.
For reference:
On the night of February 20, the Russian invaders used 161 drones against Ukraine. Air defense forces operated in 11 regions of the country: 80 UAVs were destroyed, another 78 drones did not reach the target.
In particular, on the night of February 20, the Russian occupation forces massively attacked the gas infrastructure of Ukraine, as a result of which, in particular, production facilities were damaged.
Also, on February 11, a Russian attack damaged the Naftogaz Group's production facilities in the Poltava region.
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