Naftogaz threatens to Pump Russian Gas into Storage Facilities

If Ukraine and Russia do not sign a new gas contract, Russian gas will be pumped into Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities from January 1, 2020, as “unspecified owner gas,” Naftogaz Executive Director Yuriy Vitrenko has wrote this on his Facebook page. “Non-documented gas entering Ukraine will be pumped into underground gas storage facilities as ‘unspecified owner gas’ as long as this gas is documented,” Vitrenko said, when asked by a Facebook user about measures to be taken by Ukraine if there is no contract for Russian gas transit from January 1, 2020, and this will be considered as smuggling. At the same time, replying to another user’s remark that the metering stations of underground storage facilities are also customs posts, and the customs cannot confirm the pumping of smuggled gas for storage in underground storage facilities, Vitrenko noted that Naftogaz would not explain “all the nuances, such as substitution and changes in the instructions of the customs service.” On November 25, the Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky discussed gas issues, including the continuation of gas transit and the resumption of direct Russian gas supplies to Ukraine, were discussed in detail. Neither the Kremlin nor the office of the President of Ukraine did not specify the details of the talks. The current contract for the transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian gas transmission system expires on December 31. Moscow and Kyiv have not agreed on the terms of the new agreement yet. Russia proposes to conclude a contract for a period of one year, subject to the refusal of Naftogaz from lawsuits against Gazprom. Kyiv is counting on a long-term agreement. RBC