PM: In a worst-case scenario for the winter period we must accumulate 19 bln cm of gas

"If temperatures falls to minus 20 in winter, our target regarding the gas amount in storage facilities should be 19 billion cubic meters," Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated, speaking in Parliament on Friday, 18 September.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed the difficulty of forecasting natural gas consumption, "If someone in the country assumes responsibility to predict that in winter temperatures will be minus 5 - raise your hand. We forecast that temperatures will fall to minus 20 in winter".

According to him, the forecast should be calculated "not according to the best, but worst-case scenario."

In a worst-case scenario, he said, there will be the lack of coal, "We have lost 65% of our mines, moreover, mines that produce coal of A and T marks are in the uncontrolled areas. And that is why the incredible shortage of coal and deliberate actions of the Russian Federation aimed at stopping the supply of coal also affect our energy balance."

"Unless we have enough coal for heating, we will have to switch on oil-gas blocks. If we switch on oil-gas blocks - this means additional natural gas consumption," Arseniy Yatsenyuk emphasised.

"A basic scenario of the Government foresees the most cold winter and difficulties with the coal supply and corresponding difficulties with starting blocks. We cannot leave the country without heat. We cannot leave people without heating. It is a responsibility of the Government - to provide people with heat," Arseniy Yatsenyuk underlined.