According to the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU), Russian gas flowing via Ukraine to Europe will cease on Wednesday, 11th May 2022. After Russia’s occupying forces halted gas transportation operations in the area, the flows will cease at 7 a.m. local time.

According to the operator, Ukraine will no longer be able to accept gas transit from Russia via Sokhranivka. If no alternate route can be discovered, the change might interrupt supplies to Europe. Sokhranivka is a vital crossing point between Russia and Ukraine. It is currently under force majeure and it carries about a third of Russian gas passing into Ukraine.

The GTSOU stated in a statement on Tuesday that it couldn’t run its Novopskov gas compressor station in Luhansk owing to technical difficulties caused by “the interference of the occupying forces in the technical processes.”

Although Gazprom has declared that this move is “technologically impossible,” GTSOU has stated that it might redirect the gas through the Sudzha connecting point, which is owned by Ukraine. Gazprom stated that no evidence of tampering with routine operations has been found. This transit line carries about 33 million cubic metres of gas.

Since the start of the war, Ukraine has criticised Europe’s reliance on Russian gas, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Europe of paying for Russian gas with the lives of Ukrainians. Ukraine has already warned Russia that its annexation of the Luhansk region in the east of the country could impair gas supplies to Europe due to safety concerns.

On Ukraine’s warning that gas deliveries to Europe could be disrupted, European gas futures soared by more than 8%.