MOSCOW, June 16 (RIA Novosti) — Russian energy giant Gazprom will deliver gas to Europe via alternative routes if Ukraine starts tapping Europe-bound gas, the company’s CEO Alexei Miller said Monday.
He said that Gazprom would keep daily records of volumes of Russian gas leaving the Ukrainian gas transit network.
"If we notice that [some] gas is on the territory of Ukraine… in this case, we would boost deliveries via the Nord Stream, the Yamal-Europe pipeline and will increase the volumes of gas stored in underground storage facilities in Europe," he said.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said Kiev would ensure reliable gas transit to European nations. Gazprom’s spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said earlier European consumers will receive Russian gas deliveries in full volume.
Ukraine stopped receiving gas from Russia on Monday, except for the daily 185 million cubic meters intended for further transit to Europe, after Gazprom had implemented a prepayment plan for the delivery of Russian fuel to Ukraine’s Naftogaz at 10:00 a.m. MSK (06:00 a.m. GMT) due to Naftogaz' $4.458-billion debt.
Miller said the measure, the implementation of which had been postponed several times this month, was forced because of Ukraine’s blackmailing during negotiations. Miller said that to date the debt amounts 11.5 billion cubic meters of gas in unpaid supplies.
The gas price for Ukraine surged from $268.5 to $485.50 per 1,000 cubic meters in April after Russia canceled two discounts granted previously to the country. The latest price proposed by Russia stands at $385, which is the average market price Gazprom offered Kiev after axing a deal to subsidize gas exports to Ukraine.
Having found no consensus on the price with Russia, Naftogaz' CEO Andriy Kobolev addressed the European Commission with a request to increase reverse supplies along the Slovakian route.
European Energy Commissioner Spokesperson said Russian gas supply to the EU was normal and the early warning mechanism had not been triggered.
