30% of Gas to Europe Supplied
Ukraine: "Will Reroute Supply to Other Regions"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Ukrainian gas transportation company GTSOU announced that it will suspend operations of the gas pipeline passing through the Luhansk area in eastern Donbas due to interference by Russian forces. This pipeline carries more than 30% of the gas from Russia to Europe, raising concerns that the gas supply crisis in Europe will become more pronounced.
According to foreign media including the AP on the 10th (local time), GTSOU stated in a press release, "As of 7 a.m. on the 11th, operations at the Sokhraniuvka gas compression facility in Novofskov, Luhansk Province, will be suspended," adding, "The Russian military occupation forces are disrupting technical processes, making it impossible to operate the pipeline facilities any longer."
The pipeline passing through Luhansk in Donbas and extending to Europe is known to supply over 30% of the natural gas imported from Russia to Europe. GTSOU said it will reroute the gas destined for Europe through other pipelines to minimize the gas crisis in Europe.
Serhii Makohon, CEO of GTSOU, stated, "The Russian military has occupied the Sokhraniuvka pipeline and is sending it to pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine," adding, "To fully fulfill transportation obligations under contracts with European partner countries, we will temporarily transfer the gas volume that cannot be processed at Sokhraniuvka to Sudzha, which is under Ukrainian control." The gas facility in Sudzha is located in the Sudzha area of Kursk Province in western Russia, approximately 391 km northwest in a straight line from Sokhraniuvka.
Meanwhile, Russia's state-owned natural gas company Gazprom claims that rerouting the supply is impossible. Gazprom stated, "Considering the volume of natural gas supplied through the pipeline, supplying Europe via the Sudzha area is technically impossible."
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