After retaliatory strikes on Ukraine missed downloads

Gas injection into Ukrainian storage facilities has dropped to the lowest level since the end of June. The day before, the Russian army launched retaliatory strikes against Ukraine, which also hit two compressor stations providing fuel supplies from gas-producing regions of the country.

On August 20, gas injection into Ukrainian storage facilities decreased to the lowest level since June 29. This is evidenced by the data of the GIE platform. So, on August 20, gas supplies to UGS dropped to 48.9 million cubic meters per day.

At the same time, according to the GTS Operator of Ukraine, the level of imports remained at the same level — 21.7−21.9 million cubic meters per day.

The difference between the August 20 injection and the previous days is small — several million cubic meters. However, the effect of failures does not work in the gas transmission system instantly, but stretches over time.

The day before, on August 19, the Russian army retaliated against the gas compressor station near Lubni, and on August 21 — at the station near Pavlograd. The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine confirmed both hits.

The main gas production center of Ukraine is located in Poltava and Kharkiv regions. Own production provides almost two-thirds of consumption in the country. And both stations are key for the country's gas supply with fuel of its own production. Two main supply routes pass through them.

Through the station near Lubny there are gas pipelines to Kiev and further to Western Ukraine, where the main gas storage facilities are located. At the same time, the compressor station near Pavlograd is located on another main line. The Trans-Balkan route, through which Russia supplied gas to the Balkans and to Turkey, and now the supply of the center and south of Ukraine is underway.

It is not yet known how serious the consequences of the attacks will be for Ukraine. About a third of all deliveries are provided by imports, which come mainly from Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. At the same time, Russia's hint about the consequences of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks on the Russian refinery and the Druzhba oil pipeline is more than transparent.

Ukrainian UGS reserves amounted to 6.1 billion cubic meters of active gas (10.7 billion with buffer gas) on August 20. Kiev plans to accumulate another 2.5 billion cubic meters before the start of the heating season. Such reserves will exceed last year's reserves by only 200 million cubic meters, which were not enough for last winter. Naftogaz had to urgently purchase 700 million cubic meters in February-March. At the same time, the current level of injection into the UGS will not allow to replenish the planned volume by October.