Ukraine has started importing physical gas from Hungary for the first time in its history, head of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) Serhiy Makogon said.

"The Hungarian option has become the second after Slovakia guaranteed a route for gas shipments to Ukraine even when there is no transit. The opening of this route has created the opportunity for traders to organize deliveries of liquefied gas LNG to Ukraine from a terminal in Croatia," Makogon wrote on Facebook.

GTSOU said the nomination for natural gas imports by Ukraine from Hungary on February 1 was 4.7 million cubic meters, of which 3 mcm physical gas.

Previously, GTSOU could only operate toward Hungary, but certain technological measures have made it possible to transport gas in both directions.

The agreement signed between GTSOU and FGSZ in late December 2021 allows for transporting up to 8 million cubic meters (mcm) of gas daily, or 2.9 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually, to Ukraine from Hungary. The booking of guaranteed capacity for gas transportation in this direction is valid until September 30, 2022. Coupled with 27 mcm daily capacity of gas transportation from Slovakia, this will increase the total guaranteed capacity for Ukraine's imports of gas to 35 mcm per day.

As many as 124.8 mcm (about 4.46 mcm per day) of gas to be supplied from Hungary to Ukraine were booked at a monthly capacity distribution auction for February 2022.

Ukraine's gas imports from the EU contracted 6.2-fold, or by 13.34 bcm, year-on-year to 2.56 bcm in 2021. The imports were mostly effectuated via backhaul, with its proportion reaching 89% of total annual imports in 2021.

The bulk of Ukraine's gas imports in 2021 were from Hungary, at 2.198 bcm. Ukraine also imported 285 mcm of gas from Slovakia and 79 mcm from Poland last year.