Ukraine's national energy company Naftogaz refused to accept Russian
natural gas for transit to Europe for a second day, Russia's gas
monopoly Gazprom said on Wednesday, RIA Novosti informed.
Gazprom said it filed another application with Naftogaz on Wednesday
for the transit of 98.8 million cubic meters of gas, including 13.9
million intended for Moldova, 62.7 billion for the Balkan states, and
22.2 million for Slovakia.
Russia, which has accused Ukraine of tapping gas bound for Europe,
resumed shipments after a weeklong cutoff on Tuesday after a EU-led
team of monitors was deployed at gas metering stations in Ukraine.
However, Gazprom said later in the day Kiev was blocking the shipments.
The monopoly said on Wednesday it had requested the transits via the
Sudzha gas entry point on the Russian border, an export pipeline with
direct access to the nations affected by the dispute, including
Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
Naftogaz in turn demanded transit via other entry points, used mainly
for gas intended for domestic consumption, and the replenishment of gas
reserves to 140 million cu m, Gazprom said.
Ukraine has claimed that Russia has not sent enough "technical gas" to
maintain the pressure necessary to send the required volumes to Europe.
Kiev also said that Moscow had demanded gas for Europe be sent along a
complicated route that would require Ukraine to cut off supplies to its
own people.
"Naftogaz's repeated refusals prove that Ukraine is unable to replenish
gas reserves it has siphoned off and resume transits. Gazprom is
prepared to restart supplies for European consumers at any moment," the
Russian energy giant said.
The Naftogaz chief rejected on Wednesday Russia's claims that Ukraine
had illegally siphoned off its gas, saying the company had transited
1.2 billion cubic meters of gas to Moldova.
