Moscow - Russian gas monopoly Gazprom urged Ukraine to speed up the transits of gas through its territory after the first cubic metres of gas destined to Europe arrived on Tuesday. "As soon as we send gas in, it should appear at the exit," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told journalists in Moscow.
Ukraine should not take 36 hours to pump gas flows from the Russian border to Europe, Gazprom said in a statement to the country's gas transit monopoly Naftogaz.
"Statements by the Ukrainian side that 36 hours are needed from the receipt of Russian gas transits in Ukrainian pipelines to its appearance on the Urkaine's western border, are bewildering and do not agree with our operating contracts," Kupriyanov said.
Under transit contracts, experts say, Ukraine has 36 hours to forward the gas, but it can technically do so in 24 hours if needed.
Gazprom began supplying gas at 10 am Moscow time (0700 GMT) on Tuesday from gas storages sites along its border, cutting the time it would take to send gas along pipelines from Siberia.
A spokesman for Ukraine's transit monopoly Naftogaz confirmed receipt of the first gas flows.
"Russian gas has begun arriving in Ukraine. It is the gas destined for Europe," Naftogaz spokesman Valentyn Zemlyansky was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying.
