Russian attacks reduced Ukrainian gas production by 60%.

Russian strikes have reduced by approximately 60 percent in recent days. natural gas production in Ukraine, which will probably force it to spend EUR 1.9 billion on fuel imports to survive the upcoming winter, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

As the agency reported, citing people familiar with the matter, Kiev told its allies at the beginning of the week that the powerful Russian strikes on the Kharkiv and Potłava oblasts on October 3 resulted in a 60 percent reduction in production.

Bloomberg reminds that Ukraine's gas infrastructure, which was able to meet domestic demand before Russia's full invasion, has been increasingly subject to missile and drone attacks since the beginning of this year. Gas is a key source of energy for Ukrainian households, and to weaken morale, Russia has launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure every winter since the beginning of the war.

According to the cited sources, if the attacks continue, Ukraine expects to have to buy approximately 4.4 billion cubic meters by the end of March. gas, which constitutes almost 20 percent its annual gas consumption and will cost almost EUR 2 billion.

Following the attacks, Ukraine made an urgent request to G7 partners to provide equipment to repair the energy system and repeated requests for additional air defense systems to help protect energy infrastructure. Ukraine is also seeking financial support to cover the costs of necessary gas imports.

According to Bloomberg, this year Ukraine purchased 4.58 billion cubic meters from foreign suppliers. gas, including 3.67 billion since the end of the last heating season. Although Kiev has estimated that the country's import needs will reach 5.8 billion by the end of this year, according to information provided to allies earlier this week, this number may increase due to Russian attacks.

The agency adds that increased gas supplies to Ukraine from the European Union may cause tensions in the regional market, and these concerns have already contributed to an increase in gas prices in Europe earlier this week. EU gas supplies are still below historic norms, leaving the bloc vulnerable to potential disruptions. A cold winter could quickly deplete reserves and cause further price increases, increasing pressure on consumers.

On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine will primarily try to rely on increasing domestic production capacity, but if there is a “strong attack on the entire gas infrastructure”, the country will have to resort to imports and knows “where to find the necessary money.”

According to people cited by Bloomberg, the costs of emergency repairs of energy infrastructure amount to approximately EUR 758 million. Kiev estimates the costs of direct material damage in the energy sector since the beginning of the invasion at $20.51 billion, including $14.8 billion in the energy sector, $1.35 billion in the gas sector and $1.7 billion in the oil sector. These data do not include losses related to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, which was occupied by Russian forces at the beginning of the war. (PAP)

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