Ukraine receives over US$100 million every month for the transit of the Russian gas via its territory, Igor Didenko, the first deputy minister of energy and coal industry of Ukraine, said today, on May 14.
In addition, he said, the cost of the gas import from Russia and through European countries is comparable now, as the difference makes up “some one or two dollars.” According to Ukrtransgaz Company, last year the transit of the Russian gas to Europe and CIS via Ukraine shrank 28 percent as compared to the previous year to 62.2 billion cubic meters.
Earlier, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Volodymyr Demchyshyn said the tariff for the Russian gas transit to the EU for Q1 2015 totaled US$2.88 per 1000 cu m per 100 km. He believes it expedient “to double the tariff” and hopes to agree with Russia for a 30 percent increase in the transit cost.
In 2014, Ukraine imported nearly 19.5 billion cu m of gas for US$5.7 billion from Russia and EU, particularly, over 5 billion cu m for US$1.8 billion from Europe and 14.5 billion cu m for US$3.9 billion from Russia.