Ukraine marks 1000 days without Russian gas
Thursday, August 23, marks 1000 days since Ukraine imported the last batch of Russian gas, reports Ukrtransgaz, Ukrainian operator of the gas transit system.
In late November 2015, Ukraine refused to purchase natural gas from Gazprom, as the Ukrainian gas company, Naftogaz considered this price too inflated. Import of gas is now carried out via western border.
The rejection of Russian gas allowed Ukraine to begin reforming the gas market and reforming the corporate governance of Naftogaz. For the first time in a long time, the company itself ceased to be unprofitable.
On December 22, 2017, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce issued a ruling according to which Naftogaz should resume purchases of Russian gas of at least 5 billion cubic meters until the end of the contract.
At the end of February 2018, Naftogaz paid an advance payment for March towards the next shipment of gas from Russia, but Gazprom returned the money and sent a notice to Naftogaz informing of the beginning of the termination of the contract for the supply and transit of gas.