Gas crisis reignited as Russians turn up heat on Ukraine

RUSSIA’S Gazprom state-controlled gas giant has raised the threat of a repeat gas crisis with Ukraine, warning that the ex-Soviet nation was building up its winter gas supplies too slowly and possibly endangering smooth deliveries to Europe.

Gazprom said in a statement that a company meeting chaired by Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller noted that “gas is being injected at too slow a rate” into underground storage facilities in Ukraine. The company added that it would push Ukraine’s Naftogas company to build up the necessary reserves.

Prompt withdrawal from storage facilities in Ukraine is essential to the smooth supply of natural gas from Russia.