Ukraine resumes gas imports via Transbalkan route

Ukraine has resumed gas imports via the southern Transbalkan route following a sharp increase in Russian attacks on the country’s gas and energy infrastructure, data from the Ukrainian transit operator showed on Wednesday.

Russia intensified strikes on Ukraine’s gas sector in October, depriving Kyiv of at least a half of its own gas production, forcing it to import an additional 4 billion cubic meters of gas to compensate for the decline.

The data showed that Ukraine will receive 1.1 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas from the Transbalkan route on Wednesday, after the import of 0.78 mcm on Tuesday. The route links Ukraine to LNG terminals in Greece, via Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria.

Ukrainian energy consultancy ExPro said last month that Greek DEPA Commercial, D.Trading – a subsidiary of Ukraine’s largest private energy firm DTEK – and Swiss Axpo Trading had booked capacities to import gas from Greece to Ukraine with a daily amount of 0.6 million cubic meters.

Ukraine also imports about 23 mcm of gas daily, including nearly 10 mcm from Hungary, about 8 mcm from Poland and about 5 mcm from Slovakia.

The Transbalkan route was not used in September and October, and prior to that operated only in July and August.

The pipeline was not in demand due to the high cost of gas transit across the four countries and via Ukraine. However, tariff reductions by Moldovan and Romanian operators had helped boost the booking of capacities in November, ExPro said.