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Ukraine’s Naftogaz ups import of European gas by 1.8 times in August

Ukraine purchased the whole amount of reverse gas from Slovakia

MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. Import of European gas to Ukraine reached 1.032 bln cubic meters in August, according to Poland’s gas transport system operator Gaz-System, Hungary’s FGSZ and Slovakia’s Eustream.

Ukraine purchased the whole amount of reverse gas from Slovakia.

In July, the country imported 568.3 mln cubic meters of reverse gas from Europe, in June - 790.2 mln cubic meters.

Thus, Ukraine’s import of gas from Europe increased by 1.8 times in August compared with previous months.

As TASS reported earlier in the third quarter Ukraine rejected gas purchases from Russia at $247.18 per 1,000 cubic meters and decided to buy European gas at more than $250 per 1,000 cubic meters instead.

Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller told TASS that Ukraine pays more for reverse gas. "This cannot be explained from economic point of view. As reverse gas, which is supplied from Europe, is mainly Russian Naftogaz purchases the same Russian gas but pays more for it," CEO said. He added that price of Russian gas for Ukraine will be competitive compared with price of reverse gas purchased by the country. "I think the approach to defining discount /on Russian gas - TASS/ may be declared so that Ukraine will have a clear understanding that the price for Russian gas will be competitive compared with the European market," Miller added.

According to the country’s Minister of energy and coal industry Vladimir Demchishin, withdrawal from purchases of Russian gas from July 1 cost $8.6 mln to Naftogaz Ukrainy. The price of European gas stood at $255 per 1,000 cubic meters from early Q3, while Russian gas cost $247 per 1,000 cubic meters, the Minister said.