OREANDA-NEWS  Gazprom resumed gas supplies to Slovakia on February 1 after the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine was stopped in January. Pumping is carried out through the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, and volumes are expected to double from April, according to the head of the operator of the SPP gas transmission system, Voitech Ferenc, the publication Dennik N.

The contract with the Russian company is valid until 2034, and SPP has no plans to terminate it, Ferenc stressed. He added that gas transportation bypassing Ukraine would cost SPP 90 million euros more due to higher transit fees.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke about the possibility of importing Russian gas via the Turkish Stream during his visit to Turkey in January. At the same time, he noted that the route is already overloaded, which creates supply risks.

The politician threatened Kiev to block the allocation of EU aid if transit did not resume by February, but later did not recall his promise. The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly indicated that they are ready to supply gas if it does not belong to Russia, but they do not intend to negotiate with Moscow.

Earlier, the European Network of Gas Transmission System Operators (ENTSOG) announced the achievement of a historic maximum of Russian gas supplies via the Turkish Stream — more than 50 million cubic meters per day. The indicator increased by more than a quarter year—on-year, and by two percent month-on-month.