Russia’s state-owned gas company, Gazprom, has supplied more than 40 million cubic meters (1.4 billion cubic feet) of gas to Europe daily. The company has been utilizing the gas pipeline in Sudzha, Ukraine, which has been the only route available since the closure of the Nord Stream pipeline. However, concerns have been raised that the gas supply route through Ukraine might be blocked in the future due to ongoing gas disputes between Russia and Ukraine.
According to media outlets, including Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS, on the 30th, Gazprom supplied 42.1 million cubic meters (1.5 billion cubic feet) of gas to Europe through Ukraine’s Sudzha pipeline on the 24th (local time). The company attempted to supply through the pipeline in Sokhranovka but was denied. The previous day’s volume was 42.4 million cubic meters (1.5 billion cubic feet).
The Sudzha pipeline, controlled by the Ukrainian military, passes through the northern Sumy region of Ukraine. It can handle up to 77 million cubic meters (2.7 billion cubic feet) of gas daily. It is the only route that can supply Russian gas to Western and Central Europe.
Previously, Russian gas was mainly supplied through the Nord Stream pipeline. The first pipeline, in operation since 2011, passes through the Baltic Sea to Germany. Although it accounted for a third of the gas Russia supplies to Europe, it was shut down after the Ukraine war in 2022. In September of that year, explosions occurred in three out of four pipelines of the first and second Nord Stream.
The Sokhranovka pipeline also halted operations due to the war. The Ukrainian Gas Transmission System Operator (GTSOU) announced in May 2022 that it would shut down the pipeline as it could not operate the gas compression facility in Novopskov, Luhansk region, which is under Russian military occupation.
The future of gas supply is even more uncertain. Ukraine’s state-owned gas companies Naftogaz and Gazprom are in dispute at the International Court of Arbitration. Naftogaz, which requested arbitration, claimed that the payment for using the transport network is being delayed. Gazprom countered that Naftogaz’s request for arbitration was illegal and is considering suspending transactions.
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