Ukraine's gas storage hits 15.8 bcm, 8% above winter target, as Russian strikes remain key risk

Ukraine's underground gas storage facilities held about 15.8 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas at the start of October, roughly 37% of their total capacity. That is about 8% above the government's baseline target for the coming winter, according to data from the Ukrainian Energy Exchange.

The figures, which cover the week of 5–9 October, were reported on 13 October by the Telegram channel Ekonomika Ukrainy (@ukreconomic). RealUA has not independently verified them.

Above the Energy Ministry's target

The Energy Ministry's baseline target for the 2026/2027 heating season is 14.6 bcm. Current stocks exceed it by about 1.2 bcm, or 8%.

According to the channel, Ukraine met the baseline injection plan in late August. Injections have slowed since then: 0.91 bcm went into storage in September, which is 41% less than in September 2025.

A very different picture from last year

The channel notes that Ukraine had to make emergency gas imports from the EU in September 2025, because its stocks were close to a historic low. This year the position is more comfortable.

Imports have fallen sharply. Physical inflows of gas into Ukraine's gas transmission system from Europe totalled only 0.23 bcm in April–September 2026, against 3.57 bcm in the same period of 2025.

Limited exports now allowed

On 7 October, the government permitted limited exports of gas produced in Ukraine. Private producers may now export up to 15% of the volume they produced in the previous month.

The source links the decision to a surplus in the commercial segment of the domestic market and to the need to sustain investment in production. It does not give further detail on how the export mechanism will work.

Russian attacks remain the main risk

Despite the comfortable stock levels, the channel says Russian strikes on gas infrastructure remain the main threat to getting through the winter. On 12 October, state energy company Naftogaz reported another strike on a gas production facility in the Kharkiv region.

The attacks come amid talk of an energy ceasefire. RealUA has reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine refrained from striking Russian energy sites overnight into 13 October in line with an energy truce announced by US President Donald Trump, while Russia hit a gas facility. Moscow had not confirmed the truce at the time of that report.

The source does not say which facility was hit in Kharkiv region on 12 October, or how much output was lost.