Ukraine signs first Transbalkan gas deal with Azerbaijan’s SOCAR
Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz has inked its first deal with Azerbaijan’s SOCAR to import a small volume of Azerbaijan-origin natural gas via the Transbalkan route, marking a strategic milestone in diversifying Ukraine’s energy sources.
Naftogaz confirmed the test shipment is traveling through the Bulgaria–Romania–Ukraine corridor, a route approved recently to bypass high transit fees previously incurred through southern pipelines. While the volume and timeline were not specified, Naftogaz CEO Serhiy Koretskyi called the agreement “a strategically important step” toward long-term cooperation, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The move comes amid a severe gas shortage in Ukraine, caused by Russian missile strikes earlier this year that damaged domestic gas production. Ukraine currently imports gas through Slovakia and Hungary but had avoided the southern route due to costly tariffs.
New Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk emphasized the importance of the Transbalkan corridor, noting it grants access to liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Greece and Turkey, as well as Azerbaijani, Romanian, and potential Bulgarian offshore gas.
To ensure energy security, Ukrainian authorities are closely monitoring gas origin to avoid Russian supplies mixed in southern imports. Ukraine plans to build gas reserves of around 13 billion cubic meters for the 2025/26 winter season, despite current storage levels being at a 12-year low.
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