According to the operator of the Slovak gas transmission system (GTS), Eustream, the supply of gas from Gazprom to Slovakia through the Ukrainian territory continues to decline for the second day in a row.
Earlier it was reported that the transit volume fell by almost a third compared to the previous day: 35.5 million cubic meters of natural gas became a record low since February 2021, when the weather in European countries was abnormally warm.
“On January 1, pumping decreased by 41.7% to 49.5 million compared to December 31, 2021, when daily gas supplies to Slovakia through Ukraine were at the level of 84 million cubic meters,” Eustream reported.
According to experts, the volume of gas transit is decreasing due to a sharp rise in prices for blue fuel: European customers simply do not have the finance to purchase additional volumes. The decrease in transit through the Ukrainian territory has become a serious problem for Kiev, as it significantly reduces the ability of Ukraine to purchase gas through intermediaries from Europe.
Recall that due to the lack of direct contracts with the Russian “Gazprom” Ukraine is forced to buy gas from the Russian Federation through European intermediaries for a “virtual reverse”, but the EU countries currently cannot afford to purchase additional volumes of blue fuel, which could be bought by Kiev.