Ukraine has built up reserves of 16 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas, which is enough for the country as it approaches its second winter during its full-scale war with Russia, the chief executive of energy firm Naftogaz said on Tuesday.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said Moscow is likely to launch a targeted campaign to damage energy infrastructure as it did last year. Businesses and residents are watching closely for signs that Kyiv is prepared for the winter.

“Ukraine has already accumulated 16 bcm of natural gas in our underground storage facilities, which is quite enough to enter this winter,” CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov said in televised comments.

Separately, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told a business forum in Berlin that foreign traders had accumulated 3 billion cubic metres of natural gas in Ukraine’s underground storage facilities.

Naftogaz has said that foreign customers can use more than 10 bcm of storage of Ukraine’s 30 bcm capacity, which is mostly in the country’s west and far from the front lines.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Olena Harmash; Editing by Tom Balmforth and David Holmes)