MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. Gas reserves in European underground gas storage (UGS) facilities exceeded 86%, but are still slightly below last year's level, when UGS facilities were filled to more than 87%. Meanwhile, the price of gas on the European exchange rose the day before by 5% to $454.6 per 1,000 cubic meters amid concerns about Ukrainian transit, currently trading at around $450.

According to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), as of August 7, gas injections into underground gas storage facilities in EU countries amounted to 236.4 mln cubic meters, withdrawals - 49.4 mln cubic meters.

Currently, European underground gas storage facilities are filled to 86.65% (8.49 percentage points higher than the average for this date over the past five years), they contain about 95.3 bln cubic meters of gas.

The share of wind power in the EU electricity generation in July fell to a minimum since June 2023 and amounted to 11.56% and in August the figure remains at a minimum level of 8.39%.

At the same time, Gazprom supplies gas for Europe through Ukraine in the volume of 38.5 mln cubic meters per day via the Sudzha gas pumping station in Russia’s Kursk Region.

On August 6, the Ukrainian armed forces launched a massive attack on Russia’s Kursk region, where the Sudzha gas pumping station is located. 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.

Since May 2022, when GTSOU announced the suspension of transit to Europe via the Sokhranovka station due to force majeure - the company allegedly cannot exercise control over the Novopskov compressor station in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Russian gas supplies have been flowing through Ukraine in a reduced volume. The Russian gas holding, on the other hand, saw no reason to stop pumping as before.

In the fall of 2022, Naftogaz of Ukraine petitioned the International Court of Arbitration against Gazprom for allegedly late payment for gas transportation services through Ukrainian territory. Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller stated that the arbitration proceeding is illegitimate and that the Russian holding's participation in the process is pointless. At the same time, Russia may impose sanctions on Naftogaz if the Ukrainian company continues to engage in dishonest behavior, rendering any future relations with it impossible.