Gazprom working out bypass routes

In spite of Belarus’s decision to halt transit of gas, Russia will provide consumers in Europe and Kalinongrad region with the fuel, the company says.

The gas company is going to use alternative routes, including transit through Ukraine and Lithuania, using underground gas storage and spot markets, Sergey Kupriyanov, Gazprom official representative, told Rossia 24 TV channel Tuesday.

“Confirmation has already been obtained from Kyiv of its readiness to ensure additional deliveries of Russian gas to Europe. We plan to use underground gas storage and spot markets. Kaliningrad consumers will get gas through Lithuania. All consumers will be provided with gas in full,” Kupriyanov said underlining that Belarus’s decision on cutting off transit had not grounds.

The Belarusian party failed to pay the gas debt, so Gazprom started reducing gas supplies to the country at 10 am Moscow time on Monday. The Belarusian Council of Ministers said Tuesday the country would take Russian gas from the transit pipeline if supplies were not resumed. Alyaksandr Lukashenka said Tuesday at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he had ordered to halt transit of gas.