Ukraine stopped this Wednesday, January 1, at 05:00 GMT, the transportation of Russian natural gas through its territoryas it had warned it would do in recent days, according to information provided by the Ukrainian gas operator.
“At 7 a.m. kyiv time, on January 1, 2025, The Agreement on Interaction between GTSOU and Gazprom expired for physical interconnection points between the gas transportation systems of Ukraine and Russia, dated December 30, 2019,” says the operator’s statement.
“Consequently, the transportation of natural gas from the Sudzha entry point on the eastern border of Ukraine to the exit points on the western and southern borders was terminated. The Ukrainian GTS Operator informed its international partners in accordance with the established procedure”the statement says.
Thus, since January 1, Ukraine’s gas transportation system operates in mode without Russian gas transit.
“The Ukrainian operator GTS has prepared the infrastructure in advance to operate in zero transit mode and ensure reliable gas supply to Ukrainian consumers. The company’s team is prepared to work in the new conditions”he declared Dmytro LypaGeneral Director of GTSOU.
The new conditions, according to Lypa, concern ensuring the possibility of gas supply both to Ukraine and through Ukraine to European consumers.
The Russian gas giant Gazprom confirmed today the cessation of gas supplies through Ukraine after the contracts for its transit through the Ukrainian gas pipeline system to Europe expired.
“Due to the repeated and clearly expressed refusal of the Ukrainian side to renew these agreements, Gazprom is deprived of the technical and legal ability to supply gas for transit through the territory of Ukraine from January 1, 2025,” it states. states in the consortium statement.
The cutoff of Russian gas supplies through Ukraine has strained the relationship between this country and some European partners that still depend on this supply.especially with Slovakiawhose Economy Minister declared this Tuesday that her country was prepared for the interruption.
The Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Ficothreatened kyiv with reciprocal measures if the transit of that fuel was really interrupted, as has happened today.
The Ukrainian gas pipeline system allows the Russian consortium Gazprom export gas to Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldovaa transit contract that allowed kyiv to earn about 700 million dollars annually.
But Ukraine, as the Ukrainian president stated in Brussels on the 19th, Volodimir Zelenskywill not allow Moscow “earn additional billions” while continuing its aggression against Ukraine.
The cutoff of Russian gas transit through Ukraine considerably affects Moldovawhich on the 13th decreed energy emergency for 60 dayssince its only thermoelectric plant runs on gas from Russia.
In the separatist Moldovan region of Transnistria the situation is even more seriousgiven that depends exclusively on Russian gaswhile the rest of Moldova can receive supplies from neighboring Romania.
(With information from EFE)
