MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/. Gas injection into Europe’s underground storage (UGS) facilities has accelerated amid warming temperatures in the region, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). At the same time, imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by EU countries in early June are continuing at record rates for this month.

On June 9, EU countries injected 441 mln cubic meters of gas into their UGS, GIE data show. Withdrawals fell to 19 mln cubic meters. The total volume of gas stored currently ranks only sixth highest for early June in the history of observations at 56.8 bln cubic meters, which is 28% below last year’s level.

At present, Europe’s storage facilities are 51.79% full, which is 10.3 percentage points below the five-year average for this date and significantly lower than the 71.9% recorded a year earlier. Under European Commission regulations, EU member states must ensure their gas storage is filled to 90% by November 1 each year. This mandate continues to exert upward pressure on natural gas prices in the European market. TASS estimates indicate that Europe must achieve a net injection of at least 61 bln cubic meters during the upcoming storage-filling season to meet the required level. This figure is nearly 50% higher than net injections recorded a year earlier and represents one of the largest targets in history.

Previously, Gazprom had warned of potential difficulties Europe could face in filling its storage facilities ahead of the winter. This coming summer, regional countries will need more gas to replenish reserves, and amid limited new capacity entering the market, they will have to compete with Asia, where demand for LNG continues to rise. The Gas Exporting Countries Forum expects the EU will encounter considerable challenges in reaching the 90% storage threshold by winter and forecasts that summer gas prices on the exchange may exceed those seen during the winter season, undermining the economic viability of gas injections.

This week, temperatures in Europe are expected to be warmer than last week. Wind power accounted for an average of 15% of the EU’s electricity generation in May and around 17% in June. The average purchase price of gas in Europe in May 2025 was approximately $412 per 1,000 cubic meters, and about $420 in June.

LNG imports

During the past heating season, Europe imported nearly 63 bln cubic meters of LNG, making it the third-highest volume for that period on record. Higher volumes of regasified gas were fed into the EU’s gas transmission system from LNG terminals only during the two previous winter seasons.

In May, LNG imports to Europe reached an all-time high of 12.75 bln cubic meters. At present, regasification capacity is operating at 59% of its maximum load.