FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — It's one of the more improbable aspects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Even after 2 1/2 years of war and repeated rounds of sanctions, Russian natural gas keeps flowing through Ukraine's pipeline network to customers in Europe.
That hasn't changed despite Ukraine apparently taking control of a gas measuring station near the Russian town of Sudzha as part of Kyiv’s push into Russia’s Kursk region.
Here are key things to know about the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine.
Natural gas flows from West Siberian gas fields through pipes that pass through Sudzha and cross the Ukrainian border into Ukraine's system. The pipeline enters the European Union at the Ukraine-Slovakia border, then branches off and sends gas to utilities in Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
Natural gas is used to generate electricity, power industrial processes, and in some cases to heat homes.
Gas is flowing as before. It’s no surprise, since Ukraine could have cut off the flows through their own pipeline system at any time. Actual control over the station is difficult to verify due to military secrecy and lack of access for observers or journalists.
On Tuesday, 42.4 million cubic meters of gas were slated to pass through the Sudzha station, according to Ukraine's gas transmission system operator. That's roughly in line with the average for the past 30 days.
Before the war Ukraine and Russia agreed on a five-year deal under which Russia agreed to send set amounts of gas through Ukraine's pipeline system — set up when both countries were part of the Soviet Union — to Europe. Gazprom earns money from the gas and Ukraine collects transit fees.
That agreement runs through the end of this year. Ukraine's energy minister, German Galushchenko, has said Ukraine has no intention of prolonging it or replacing it.
Before the war, Russia supplied some 40% of Europe's natural gas through pipelines. Gas flowed through four pipeline systems, one under the Baltic Sea, one through Belarus and Poland, the one through Ukraine, and Turk Stream under the Black Sea through Turkey to Bulgaria.
After the war started, Russia cut off most supplies through the Baltic and Belarus-Poland pipelines, citing disputes over a demand for payment in rubles. The Baltic pipeline was blown up in an act of sabotage, but details of the attack remain murky.
The Russian cutoff caused an energy crisis in Europe. Germany had to shell out billions of euros to set up floating terminals to import liquefied natural gas that comes by ship, not by pipeline. Users cut back as prices soared. Norway and the U.S. filled the gap, becoming the two largest suppliers.
Europe viewed the Russian cutoff as energy blackmail and has outlined plans to completely eliminate Russian gas imports by 2027.
Still, Russian gas was never banned — even though the money earned supports Russia's state budget and helps prop up the ruble currency. It's a testimony to how dependent Europe was on Russian energy — and to a lesser extent still is.
About 3% of Europe's gas imports flow through Sudzha, part of the roughly 15% of imports that came from Russia last year. But Europe remains on edge about its energy supply given that it's an energy importer and just suffered an outburst of inflation triggered by high energy prices. The Sudzha flows loom larger for Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, who would have to arrange new supply.
The European Union has come up with a plan to end imports of Russian fossil fuels entirely by 2027. But progress has been uneven lately.
Austria increased its Russian gas imports from 80% to 98% over the past two years. While Italy has cut direct imports, it still gets Russian-origin gas through Austria.
And Europe continues to import liquefied gas, which made up 6% of imports last year. Trade data indicate LNG shipments to France more than doubled in the first half of this year.
Meanwhile EU members Romania and Hungary have made gas deals with Turkey, which imports gas from Russia. Armida van Rijd, senior research fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, says that “Russian gas is being laundered through Azerbaijan and Turkey to meet continued high European demands.”
She wrote that European efforts to reduce use of Russian gas are “impressive” so far. But she added that “the political reality is that it is extremely difficult for European countries to fully diversify their energy supplies, when many are already struggling with high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.”
FILE - The gas pumping station at Sudzhe, Russia, seen on Jan. 11, 2009. Even after 2 1/2 years of war and repeated rounds of sanctions, Russian natural gas keeps flowing through Ukraine's pipeline network to customers in Europe. That hasn't changed despite Ukraine apparently taking control of a gas measuring station near the Russian town of Sudzhe as part of Kyiv’s push into Russia’s Kursk region.(AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
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TOP STORIES
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BOEING-LABOR-CONTRACT — Boeing factory workers have walked off the job after voting to reject a contract offer and go on strike. It's another setback for the giant aircraft maker whose reputation and finances have been battered and now faces a shutdown in production of its best-selling airline planes. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers says its members on Thursday rejected a contract that would have raised pay 25% over four years, then voted to strike. A two-thirds vote among 33,000 workers was needed to strike. By David Koenig and Manuel Valdes. SENT: 1,130 words, photos, video. With BOEING-TURBULENT-TIMES — A strike would add to turbulent times at Boeing (sent).
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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES
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BRAZIL-INDIGENOUS-SACRED-CLOAK — Indigenous chants and the rattle of maracas are resounding in a Rio de Janeiro park, where Brazil’s Tupinambá people gathered to celebrate the homecoming of a sacred cloak absent for some 380 years. Made of feathers from the scarlet ibis, the artifact from northeastern Brazil resided in Copenhagen until the Danish National Museum donated the cloak to its Brazilian counterpart. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Indigenous Peoples Minister Sonia Guajajara attended a ceremony at Brazil’s National Museum atop a hill in the Boa Vista Park. Celebrations to welcome the cloak have been underway since last week. By Eleonore Hughes. SENT: 840 words, photos, video.
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
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RUSSIA-CHINA — Chinese leader Xi Jinping will visit Russia next month for a summit of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed Thursday, a move that comes as Moscow and Beijing seek to counter the West’s global influence. Xi’s visit to Russia will be his second since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. SENT: 420 words, photo, video, audio.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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NATIONAL
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US-WILDFIRES — Firefighters battling three major wildfires in the mountains east of Los Angeles are taking advantage of cooler weather. They are slowly gaining the upper hand against blazes that have destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate. The worst danger appeared to have passed Thursday near Reno, Nevada. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, video, audio.
TROPICAL-WEATHER — Gulf Coast residents on Thursday were cleaning up the mess left by Hurricane Francine, which struck Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane. The system knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, sent storm surge rushing into coastal communities and raised flooding fears in New Orleans and beyond. SENT: 850 words, photos, video, audio.
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INTERNATIONAL
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VIETNAM FLOODS — The death toll in the aftermath of a typhoon in Vietnam climbed to 233 on Friday as rescue workers recovered more bodies from areas hit by landslides and flash floods. Flood waters from the swollen Red River in the capital, Hanoi, were beginning to recede, but many neighborhoods remained inundated and farther north experts predicted it could be days before relief was in sight. Typhoon Yagi made landfall Saturday, starting a week of heavy rains that have triggered flash floods and landslides. More than 100 people were listed as missing. SENT: 530 words, photos.
MIGRATION-NUMBERS — Despite a summer of heated anti-immigration debates across the European Union, unauthorized migration to EU countries dropped significantly overall in the first eight months of this year. SENT: 960 words, photos.
JAPAN-POLITICS-CANDIDATES — Japan will have a new leader after outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s governing Liberal Democratic Party holds a vote on Sept. 27 to choose his replacement. The main contenders include a former defense minister and the son of a former premier. SENT: 930 words, photos.
SRI-LANKA-ELECTION-RAJAPAKSA-DYNASTY — Namal Rajapaksa, considered the heir apparent to the powerful Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka, will contest the presidential election next week in a bid seen by many as an attempt by the controversial political dynasty to regain power over Sri Lanka. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video.
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BUSINESS/ TECH
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INDONESIA-VIETNAM-ENERGY-DEALS — Indonesia and Vietnam signed multibillion-dollar energy transition deals in 2022 heralded as drastic shifts in financing that would enable the coal-dependent countries to pivot to cleaner energy. But nearly two years later, critics say little progress has been made. SENT: 970 words, photos.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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JUSTIN-TIMBERLAKE-ARREST — Justin Timberlake is expected to plead guilty following his June arrest in the Hamptons for drunken driving. Prosecutors say the pop star will appear in court in Sag Harbor, New York, on Friday to enter the new plea. SENT: 540 words, photos, audio.
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BILLS-DOLPHINS — James Cook caught a touchdown pass and ran for two scores and the Buffalo Bills routed Miami 31-10 on Thursday night, with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leaving early because of a concussion. SENT: 550 words, photos.
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