KIEV, January 2. /TASS/. Ukraine consumed 30.3 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas in 2016, which is "just 4% lower" than in the previous year, the Ukrtransgaz state-run gas company’s press service said on Tuesday.
In 2015, Ukraine reduced natural gas consumption by 20% on average, largely due to a slump in industrial production and lower consumption by the population.
"To meet domestic consumer’s needs, (we) used natural gas imported from Europe, 11.1 bcm, and produced in the country, 20.2 bcm," Ukrtransgaz said, emphasizing that in 2016 gas was not directly bought from Russia.
Domestic gas output increased by 1.5% as compared with the previous year but its imports "shrank almost twice," it said.