Europe has been receiving less Russian gas through Ukraine`s pipelines because Russia has cut blue fuel supplies, Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko said on Friday, according to RIA Novosti.
"We are consuming gas in strict compliance with our contract but owing to the fact that Russia is not delivering gas [at full volume] Europe is receiving less gas," Boyko told reporters.
Alexander Medvedev, head of the export department in Russian gas giant Gazprom, said on Thursday that the company increased gas supplies to Europe and Ukraine, as severe cold with temperatures reaching below minus 30 degrees Celsius hit the EU and Russia`s neighboring states. However, several EU states complain they receive less gas.
Ukraine is probably the country worst affected by these extreme weather conditions. Russia’s neighboring country is now importing natural gas, which is equal to an annual volume of 60 billion cubic meters, higher than the contracted volume of 52 bcm, which Ukraine denies.
Boyko said that current gas transit volume equaled to 415 million cm per day and that the technical agreement stands at 490 million cm.
