Accumulating required volume of gas for next winter will be real challenge

The success of accumulating the required volume of gas for the next heating season will depend on the availability of funds in Naftogaz Group for these purposes, resources on European markets, as well as the throughput capacity of interstate interconnectors, believes Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuriy Boiko.

"There is a clear understanding of the volume of gas that needs to be accumulated by the beginning of the heating season. To be honest, this is a kind of challenge, because three factors will be key to fulfilling this task: the sufficiency of financial resources for procurement, the availability of gas itself on European markets as well as limiting the maximum possible throughput capacity of interstate interconnectors," Boiko said during a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center in Kyiv on Thursday.

He did not specify the exact volume that will need to be imported, only noting that Ukraine's annual consumption of blue fuel is slightly less than 20 billion cubic meters.

Regarding financing for gas purchases, Boiko noted that "there are many good developments," but referred this issue to Naftogaz.

At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that the current gas balance makes it impossible to implement the strategy that was relevant in previous years and provided for the purchase of gas in the three summer months, when it is cheaper.

Boiko emphasized that the price of gas will not be decisive in preparing for the new season.

"With the current gas balance, this import must be carried out on a permanent basis, and the price factor is not key, because we must understand that in order to reach the planned accumulation indicators, imports cannot be stopped even when we do not really like the price or when there is an expectation that it will decrease," the prime minister's advisor believes.

He also noted that Ukraine would face a situation "when it will have to look across the ocean and work with liquefied gas from the USA."

As reported, at the end of March 2025, member of the board and commercial director of Naftogaz group Dmytro Abramovych noted that by the start of the next heating season, by November 1 of this year, Ukraine needs to import 4.5-4.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas.