Russian gas supplies to Europe through the Ukrainian territory plummeted by nearly 25 percent in just one day, to a total of 72 million cubic meters on Wednesday, Russian energy giant Gazprom said.Ukraine has left only one entry point for gas transit to Europe, which has significantly reduced the reliability of gas supplies, Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said.The Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) announced on Tuesday that it would close the Sokhranivka entry point on the eastern border on Wednesday due to &force majeure& — or unexpected circumstances such as war.
Gazprom said it was notified of the Ukrainian decision on Tuesday.The transmission volume via the Sokhranivka entry point is around 32.6 million cubic meters of gas a day, or a third of the Russian gas which is piped to Europe through Ukraine, GTSOU said.Gazprom said it was still shipping gas to Europe via Ukraine, but volumes were seen at 72 million cubic meters on Wednesday, down from 95.8 million cubic meters on Tuesday.Russia remains committed to contractual obligations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday when asked about whether Russia will seek alternative gas transmission routes to Europe.A German gas operator said volumes of gas entering the German pipeline system via Ukraine had dropped by nearly 25 percent compared with Tuesday as a result of the reduction in gas transit.
But it said the decline had been offset by increased inflows of gas from Norway and The Netherlands.Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development said their natural gas supply security can still be guaranteed at present, and that they will pay close attention to the situation.The post Russian gas delivery to Europe via Ukraine drops 25 percent first appeared on Ariana News.