Kiev has reportedly told its Western backers it must import large volumes of gas to avert a winter energy crisis
Russian strikes have destroyed more than half of Ukraine’s gas production, forcing Kiev to seek over $2 billion in emergency imports to prevent a winter energy crisis, Bloomberg claimed on Thursday.
Kiev told its Western backers this week that a Russian missile strike on the regions of Kharkov and Poltava on October 3 destroyed around 60% of the country’s gas production capacity, the outlet wrote, citing anonymous sources.
The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that on the night of October 3, its forces launched “a massive strike” against Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and the energy facilities supporting their operations.
Moscow maintains that its strikes are in response to Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure and residential areas in Russia, and that it only targets sites linked to Ukraine’s military infrastructure.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine expects that it will need to buy around 4.4 billion cubic meters of gas, worth €1.9 billion ($2.2 billion), to get through the winter – nearly 20% of its annual consumption. Kiev is seeking financial support this, the outlet added.
Ukraine’s Naftogaz said recent loans – including €500 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in August and €300 million from the European Investment Bank this month – are insufficient.
Ukraine has asked the G7 for energy repair equipment and renewed its demands for air defense systems.
Bloomberg noted that greater EU gas supplies to Ukraine could strain the bloc’s market, with concerns already pushing prices up earlier this week. With inventories below historical norms, the EU remains vulnerable to supply shocks. A cold winter could quickly deplete storage and trigger new price spikes, increasing pressure on consumers.
Russia began striking Ukraine’s energy grid and gas production sites after Kiev bombed the Crimean Bridge in October 2022, killing four people. President Vladimir Putin has vowed that Russia would retaliate against Ukrainian attacks on energy facilities, which have intensified over the past year.
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