National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy has recorded gas pressure drops lower the Gazprom contract level at the entry points to the Ukrainian gas transport system from the direction of Russia, the company said late on Monday.

"The recent large drop of gas pressure was today [on Monday] at Sudzha gas metering stations. Pressure in the Russian gas transport system at this key entry point was 53.5 atm with the smallest possible 60 atm," the Ukrainian company said.

Naftogaz believes that Gazprom is not able to stably maintain pressure in the system at the required level due to the unsatisfactory state of a part of the Russian gas transport infrastructure.

The company recalled that since 2011 the Russian side has halted publishing data on the number of accidents at gas pipelines, paying much attention to the building of new gas pipelines. The analysis of the situation is complicated by the absence of explanations from Russia, the company said.

According to the schedule presented by Naftogaz, Gazprom violates contract liabilities in terms of gas pressure maintenance in the past three days, gradually decreasing it from 57.3 atm on August 20 to 54.5 atm on August 21 and 53.5 atm on August 22.

Earlier the pressure was lower than the smallest possible pressure on August 16 and August 17 – 54.9 atm and 59.8 atm.

"Gazprom has failed to achieve permanent pressure in the pipeline at the contract level for over one month," Naftogaz said.

The company recalled that it proposed to Europe to send a monitoring mission to the border gas metering stations and inspect them.

"Ukraine is ready to fairly implement its liabilities on gas transit to the EU on the conditions outlined in the current contract. All actions required for providing for stable transportation of gas next winter are carried out by Ukraine in line with the schedule and are financed in the full amount," Naftogaz said.