As hostilities with Russia increase and concerns over possible gas supply disruptions to Europe grow, Oleksiy Chernyshov, Ukraine’s chief executive of the state-run Naftogaz oil and gas company, has made a strong plea to the European Union (EU) to support the defense of crucial gas storage facilities against a possible Russian attack.
The Financial Times notes that “Ukraine still acts as a transit route for Russian pipeline gas into Europe, and its underground gas storage provided European traders with valuable space to park their excess gas ahead of last winter as sites in the EU reached maximum capacity.”
While some storage facilities did come under attack in western Ukraine, the underground storage facilities, which, in some cases, are located 3km below ground, have not been damaged.
An article by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) points out that the objectives of Russian attacks on gas storage facilities are to “further exacerbate Ukraine’s internal energy crisis just as Kyiv begins its annual springtime drive to store gas to help the country survive winter 2024–25” and to “underscore Moscow’s energy weaponization against the rest of Europe, given that these storage sites have been partially booked by European gas traders.”
Chernyshov made his remarks right after U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill approving $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, pointing to the fact that Ukraine is in dire need of additional air defense systems.
Russia has been systemically targeting Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure facilities, resulting in energy blackouts across the country. Just this Wednesday, April 8, “Russian forces unleashed a nighttime barrage of more than 50 cruise missiles and explosive drones at Ukraine’s power grid,” AP reported.
Even though the majority of missiles have been downed by Ukrainian air defense, three people have been injured and infrastructure objects have been damaged.
It is worth pointing out that at this moment, the supply of Russian gas in Ukraine accounts for 5% of Europe’s gas supply. As Ukraine has announced on numerous occasions, it does not intend to renew a contract with Gazprom, meaning that some European countries will need to look for alternative supplies.
