Ukraine cuts off one of the pipelines that brings Russian gas to Europe

Ukraine has announced that it has cut off a key pipeline for Europe to receive Russian gas. One third of the European gas flows through this pipeline, but will stop its activity by “force majeure” due to the invasion by the Kremlin.

The GTSOU operates gas in Ukraine and now this company has reported that the facilities, located in the Luhansk region, “are under the control of the Russian Federation”.

“The actions of the occupants led to the interruption of gas transit through the Sokhranivka gas measuring station,” the company said in a note in which it added that, for that reason, they have declared the situation of “force majeure”, a clause invoked when a company is affected by something outside its contro

The statement reports that from 07:00 (local time) on Wednesday, gas flows through Sokhranivka will stop. This decision could affect up to 33mcm/day, due to disturbances caused by the current Russian invasion.

The TSO said it was “impossible” to pump gas through Sokhranivka and the border compressor station in Novopskov, both located in territories occupied by Russian troops. It is the first station of the Ukrainian gas transmission system in the Luhansk region and passes through it almost a third of the gas from Russia to Europe.

Therefore, the company asks Moscow to divert its passage to another station through which the rest passes. To comply with its transit obligations to European partners, the TSO said it is possible to temporarily redirect flows through the Sudzha interconnection point, which is in territory still controlled by Ukraine.

However, the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom claims that “it is technologically impossible” this route change. Another blow to Europe after Russia cancelled its supplies to Poland and Bulgaria in early May for refusing to pay for its shipments through the rouble mechanism imposed by the Kremlin after sanctions.