Gazprom Reroutes Gas To Europe Through Belarus

Gazprom representative Sergei Kupriyanov said the Russian natural gas giant plans to reroute gas shipments to Europe into pipelines transiting Belarusian territory instead of through Ukraine's pipeline network.

Kupriyanov said the process had just started but that Gazprom intended to export more of its gas through the pipeline system of gas pipeline operator Beltransgaz.

Gazprom owns Beltransgaz, having acquired the Belarusian government's shares at the end of last year.

In Ukraine, the deputy chief of Naftohaz Ukrainy, Vadim Chuprun, confirmed that the amount of gas entering Ukraine's pipeline system from Russia had been cut in half.

Gazprom started the switch to the Belarusian route at the end of February.

Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS and Interfax