Need for gas imports into Ukraine may reach 4-5 billion cubic meters, and under certain conditions – 8 billion cubic meters – media

During 2025, the need for gas imports into Ukraine may reach at least 4-5 billion cubic meters, and under certain conditions – 8 billion cubic meters.

This is reported by the MIND publication, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

This year, the Ukrainian gas market has become deficient in terms of the total volume of available resources for the first time since the start of the full-scale war.

The situation arose due to numerous russian attacks on the capacities of gas producing companies, which forced them to reduce production, as well as due to the growth of domestic demand for gas in the electricity generation segment.

The report says that one of the consequences of the aforementioned deficit has already been the increase in domestic prices for commercial consumers, which are not regulated by the state.

In May, they sharply exceeded UAH 23,000, and before that they were within 19,400.

According to the latest data, the difference in the cost of gas in Ukraine and the EU is currently about 5%, while in winter it reached 30%.

And on some days in May, prices on the Ukrainian market even exceeded the European quotations.

Gas traders working in the commercial segment expect that the price spread on the Ukrainian market will continue to decrease.

This will allow them to return to active business - for the first time since February 2022, when the government banned the export of gas produced in Ukraine for security reasons, and the Naftogaz state holding increased its influence on the domestic market.

The restrictions from the state then protected consumers from shortages and explosive price increases, but in fact forced most traders to go into "sleep mode", as the market began to close mainly due to domestic production.

Now market dynamics are encouraging them to get back into the game, as Ukrainian industrial enterprises are again interested in importing gas from Europe.

However, certain problems remain on the market that threaten gas shortages for commercial consumers.

It is noted that last week, the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine state-owned company announced the long-awaited news about the opening of the Trans-Balkan Corridor for gas supplies from the Greek LNG terminal "Revitus" to Ukraine from June 1.

But this route, which involves transit through Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova, was not in demand among suppliers at the monthly auction, even though the transport tariff for the new route was agreed at EUR 7.8/MWh (taking into account the cost of LNG regasification), which is 20% less than the usual tariff of EUR 9.77/MWh.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, natural gas prices in Ukraine have risen to their highest level in more than two years since February 2023 and on May 26 reached UAH 23,000/1,000 cubic meters (including VAT).

To request a correction, please send an email.