“It will be 12–14°C”: an expert predicted cold in Ukrainians’ apartments due to a gas shortage

This winter, temperatures in apartments in Ukraine may drop to 12–14°C.

Such a forecast was given in an interview with the YouTube channel Superposition by Oleg Popenko, head of the Union of Utility Consumers.

“This winter will be very difficult. We have little gas. Therefore, I expect restrictions on gas supply during periods of low temperatures that may last several weeks, God willing. We will be forced to sit in apartment buildings where the temperature will not be the usual 17–22°C, but 12–14°C. Gas pressure will be reduced, and there may even be gas shutoffs. This is because our unified gas transportation system and gas storage facilities have been hit multiple times,” Popenko said.

He reminded that the 13.2 billion cubic meters of gas that authorities planned to inject this year only lasted until February last winter—after which the government had to purchase additional gas at prices 2–2.5 times higher.

Earlier, Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Center, said that some Ukrainian cities could be left without heating at all this winter.

At present, Ukraine lacks about one-third of the gas it needs for the winter—around 3.5 billion cubic meters, costing roughly €1.4 billion at current prices.