MOSCOW, November 9. /TASS/. Withdrawal of gas from European underground gas storage (UGS) facilities has surpassed pumping into them for the first time since spring amid a fall in temperature. Europe has thus started the heating season with gas reserves close to 100%. Meanwhile Gazprom supplies gas for Europe through Ukraine in the volume of 42.4 mln cubic meters per day via the Sudzha gas pumping station.

"Gazprom supplies Russian gas for transit through Ukrainian territory in the volume confirmed by the Ukrainian side via the Sudzha gas pumping station of 42.4 mln cubic meters as of November 9. The request for the Sokhranovka gas pumping station has been rejected," a Gazprom representative told reporters. Earlier the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) confirmed the request for pumping of this volume of gas.

On the previous day, the pumping also equaled 42.4 mln cubic meters.

The transit line through Ukraine remains the only route to supply Russian gas to western and central European countries. The pumping through Nord Stream has been fully suspended.

Gas withdrawal from European UGS facilities amounted to 44 mln cubic meters on November 7, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Meanwhile pumping totaled 27 mln cubic meters.

European UGS facilities are currently 99.61% full (9.84 percentage points higher than the average as of this date in the past five years), with 109.82 bln cubic meters of gas stored in them, which is an all-time high of gas reserves in the EU. European countries succeeded in filling their UGS facilities with gas at the targeted level of 90% for the upcoming heating season by as early as mid-August, whereas the European Commission had earlier expected to reach this level only by November.