Ukraine's gas reserves at a 12-year low as attacks on infrastructure continue

Gas reserves in Ukraine’s underground storage facilities remain very low, which could increase the risk to security of supply during the next heating season. In recent weeks, Ukraine has increased gas imports from Poland and is also testing imports from Azerbaijan via the Trans-Balkan route. This week, the route became a target of Russian drone attacks.

Like the rest of Europe, Ukraine is preparing for the next heating season over the summer by injecting gas into underground storage facilities. However, at the start of this week, only around 10 billion cubic metres of gas was stored in the country’s facilities. According to Reuters, citing an analysis by ExPro, this is the lowest level of reserves in 12 years.

Over the past just under three weeks, the country has increased its reserves by 1 billion cubic metres, according to ExPro. This means it still has time to build up stocks before the start of the heating season. According to the country’s energy ministry, Ukraine needs at least 13 billion cubic metres in storage before winter. At present, however, the facilities are only one-third full.

This year, Ukraine is increasing its imports of natural gas from abroad, as domestic production, hit by Russian attacks, is not enough to meet all demand. Over the next few years, however, the country expects to reach a level of gas production that would ensure independence from imports.

For now, Ukraine has to rely on imports, mainly via infrastructure in Poland and Hungary. The Trans-Balkan route offers another option: LNG imports via a terminal in Greece or limited volumes of gas from Azerbaijan. This route became a target of a Russian attack, specifically a facility in southern Ukraine. The exact extent of the damage and its impact on future imports via the route are not yet known.