Ukraine has officially started the season of natural gas withdrawal from its underground storage facilities (UGS), Serhiy Pereloma, head of Ukrtransgaz (UTG) operator, said on Facebook on Tuesday.

"So far, withdrawal is taking place on one UGS facility. It was not chosen by chance: this UGS facility is the most maneuverable and flexible when adjusting regimes. For the period between regime changes, such characteristics are especially valuable. We select by gravity flow – this allows saving gas for technical outlays," he wrote.

Pereloma noted that the start of the 2022/2023 UGS withdrawal season is the latest in the last decade. This is due to favorable weather conditions, active gas injection by non-residents in October and a general reduction in energy consumption in Ukraine.

"We can say that the system has successfully passed the injection season and is ready for the heating season. We understand that we are facing difficult challenges and the hardest winter in the history of independent Ukraine. However, we are ready to work, as always, and we will do everything in our power to keep houses, shelters, hospitals, schools and kindergartens of Ukraine warm," he concluded.

As reported with reference to the data of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, gas reserves in Ukraine’s UGS facilities at the beginning of November reached 14.7 billion cubic meters of gas. In particular, the enterprises belonging to Naftogaz Group own 11 billion cubic meters of gas from the accumulated volume.