MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. Withdrawal of gas by Europe from its underground gas storage (UGS) facilities since the beginning of the heating season has approached 5 bln cubic meters amid colder temperatures, while the aggregate gas withdrawal in November has been 22% higher than last year, with the EU having started the heating season with record 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 December 1. 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 646 mln cubic meters on November 29, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Meanwhile pumping totaled 8 mln cubic meters.

The heating season in Europe started on November 7, 2023, with EU countries having withdrawn 4.76 bln cubic meters of gas from UGS facilities since then. European UGS facilities are currently 95.93% full (10.91 percentage points higher than the average as of this date in the past five years), with 105.75 bln cubic meters of gas stored in them.