In an interview with one of the Ukrainian TV channels, the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Igor Nasalik said that the national operator of the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS) Ukrtransgaz may not be technically ready to pump blue fuel because of a reduction in investments, Regnum reports..

Nasalik said: "I think the policy of Naftogaz on the transport system is meaningless. They have already erased it for themselves and do not consider in 2019 ".

He also noted that the position of Naftogaz on this issue could lead to serious negative consequences, since Ukrtransgaz may not be technically ready for "pumping gas".

Earlier, on July 6, the press service of Ukrtransgaz PJSC reported that the volume of transit of Russian blue fuel via Ukraine's gas transportation system (GTS) in the first half of 2017 peaked in the last six years.

It follows from the report that the average transit volume of gas supplied by Gazprom in January-June 2017 is higher by almost 7 billion cubic meters of the average volume of transit of Russian gas for the same period of 2012-2016.