MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. Ukraine has been able to accumulate only about 7 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in storages by the middle of the year compared with at least 13.2 bcm required for winter, according to TASS calculations based on data from the Energy Ministry.

Thermal coal reserves amount to 2.2 million tons, but they are only enough for the summer and autumn. Ukraine continues to replenish its gas and thermal coal reserves, but this is hampered by rising prices on the European energy markets and high demand for gas in EU countries, which are also experiencing difficulties replenishing storages for the winter.

The capacity of the energy system also remains low, despite attempts to restore it and create a distributed power generation network. By mid-summer it stands at about 11-12 GW compared to the required 18-19 GW. Even in summer, due to the increase in energy consumption during the heatwave, Ukraine is experiencing an electricity shortage of 1-2 GW.