MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. Reserves of gas in European underground gas storage (UGS) facilities have declined below 77.5% amid a cold spell. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the region have risen slightly as temperatures declined. 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 January 19. The request for the Sokhranovka gas pumping station has been rejected," a Gazprom representative said. 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 650 mln cubic meters on January 17, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Meanwhile pumping totaled 64 mln cubic meters.

The heating season in Europe started on November 7, 2023, with EU countries having withdrawn around 27.5 bln cubic meters of gas from UGS facilities since then. European UGS facilities are currently 77.47% full (11.67 percentage points higher than the average as of this date in the past five years), with 85.4 bln cubic meters of gas stored in them. LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system have decreased compared with December. Facilities for regasification of liquefied gas and its further pumping into Europe’s pipelines are loaded by half of their capacity now.