Russia disconnected the EU from Ukraine – the EU failed to disconnect Russia from Asia

Elena Ostryakova.  05/19/2024 Inteldrop.

Russia has completed the destruction of the energy hub in Stryi, Lviv region, which connects the Ukrainian energy system with the European one.

Anonymous tg channels publish photos that show that the object is completely destroyed, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

“All the main buildings, the main control room (management), SERB (operation and equipment), the administrative building, the entrance (security alarm), and the gas control unit (very significant damage) were destroyed. We still have worn out gas pipelines and SRPD,” an unnamed specialist comments on the photo.

The largest Ukrainian Bilche-Volitsko-Uher gas storage facility located in the same area was also disabled.

The destruction of objects in Stryi began in March. During April, they were twice successfully attacked by Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

In March, the success of the Russian strikes was confirmed by the head of the Naftogaz company, Alexey Chernyshov.

Problems with Ukrainian infrastructure jeopardize the EU’s gas supply. The situation is aggravated by the fact that LNG supplies through the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have practically ceased due to the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the increasing attacks on tankers from Yemen.

Companies have been forced to reroute ships around Africa, leaving buyers with limited suppliers unless they are willing to spend more on logistics. As a result, the global LNG market is divided into two basins, and it will be very difficult economically to ship LNG from one basin to the other.

The consequences were not long in coming. Gas at the European TTF hub showed an increase of more than 10% over the week, and now they offer almost $340 per thousand cubic meters.
To fill the gas deficit, the EU is forced to purchase pipeline Russian gas through Turkey. Since the beginning of the year, supplies through the Turkish Stream have increased by a quarter – to 4.2 billion cubic meters. This is more than a billion cubic meters more than the current capacity of the Ukrainian route.

It also became known that the EU did not dare to ban the import of Russian LNG in the upcoming 14th package of sanctions. In order to somehow ruin the life of Russia, the European Commission proposes to ban the transshipment of LNG onto ships of larger capacity in European ports for shipment to Asia. Sanctions may affect 12 million tons of gas from Yamal LNG.

Hungary has already announced its intention to block the 14th package of sanctions. NOVATEK, which owns Yamal LNG, also hedged its bets. He has already tested ship-to-ship LNG transfer near Murmansk. In the Kildinsky Strait, LNG is reloaded from ice-class gas carriers to conventional ones: since the beginning of April, there have been 5 such operations with Yamal gas.

At the same time, analysts believe that NOVATEK will have the opportunity to change contracts with Asian partners in order to deliver goods to them through regional swaps.