REUTERS
This measure will help Ukraine to smoothly pass the winter even if the Russian gas transit issue has not been settled.
Ukraine is to accumulate more than 20 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas in its underground storage facilities before the beginning of the heating season, which traditionally starts in mid-October.
"Some 15 billion cubic meters of gas has already been accumulated. By October 15, the reserves will be 20 billion, maybe even bigger – there will be 21 billion. This will give us the opportunity to absolutely smoothly, whatever Russia decides, to go through the heating season," Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said on Radio NV, commenting on the still unresolved issue with the contract for the transit of Russian gas. The contract is expiring on December 31, 2019.
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According to him, the incumbent government will hand over the country to the new government in good condition so that it can pass the next heating season without any disruption.
As reported by UNIAN, natural gas reserves in Ukraine's underground storage facilities as of July 22, 2019, had grown by 71.6%, to 15.018 bcm, since the end of the previous heating season on April 5, 2019.