Kyiv has increased the selection of Russian gas so that it does not go to Donetsk and Lugansk
Moscow – Kyiv, February 23 (PolitNavigator, Mikhail Shtamm) – Winter gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine are once again at risk of disruption. After Gazprom began deliveries to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) on Thursday and assigned payment for this gas to Naftogaz, Kyiv sharply increased its gas withdrawals. It wants to quickly use up prepaid volumes to avoid paying for gas going to the DPR and LPR, Kommersant explains.
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Russia, for its part, can completely cut off gas to Ukraine, since it supplies it on an advance payment basis, which will not last long if the supply increases. According to the newspaper, yesterday gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine could exceed 100 million cubic meters (the usual daily volume is 30-35 million cubic meters). Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council on Friday that the Ukrainian side’s application has increased 2,5 times and if this level of selection is maintained, the prepayment that Ukraine made for gas will end within three to four days.
Meanwhile, according to representatives of the DPR and LPR, Ukraine did not restore supplies to the republics yesterday, despite the corresponding statement from Naftogaz on Thursday. Gazprom yesterday continued supplies to the southeast of Ukraine in the amount of 12 million cubic meters per day. Naftogaz already announced on Thursday that it is not going to pay for Russian gas supplies to the LPR and DPR, since they do not comply with the contract. Nevertheless, Medvedev confirmed yesterday that Moscow will demand that Kyiv pay for supplies to the southeast of the country.
Ukraine apparently expected that Russia would take over the supply of gas to the LPR and DPR, but Gazprom is appealing to contract provisions that allow this burden to be shifted to Naftogaz. If Ukraine really wanted to supply gas to Donetsk and Lugansk, but could not do this due to the destruction of gas pipelines, nothing would prevent Kyiv from negotiating with Gazprom on supplies from Russia and taking them into account accordingly.
If the positions of the parties do not change, in just a few days gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine may be interrupted again. In this case, Ukraine will most likely have to introduce restrictions for consumers.
Kyiv has increased its siphoning of Russian gas to prevent it from going to Donetsk and Luhansk.