Slovakia has started receiving Russian gas bypassing Ukraine

As of February 1, Gazprom has resumed gas supplies to Slovakia after the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine was halted in January. The gas is now being transported via the Turkish Stream pipeline, with volumes expected to double starting in April.

This was reported by Dennik N, citing Vojtech Ferenc, head of Slovakia’s gas transmission system operator SPP.

Ferenc emphasized that the contract with the Russian company remains valid until 2034, and SPP has no plans to terminate it. However, he noted that bypassing Ukraine for gas transportation will cost SPP an additional €90 million due to higher transit fees.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico had discussed the possibility of importing Russian gas via *Turkish Stream* during his visit to Turkey in January. At the same time, he acknowledged that the route is already overloaded, posing risks to supply security.

Fico had previously threatened to block EU financial aid to Ukraine if transit was not restored by February. However, he later refrained from mentioning this ultimatum. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated that they are willing to transport gas only if it does not belong to Russia, while refusing to negotiate with Moscow.

Earlier, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) reported that gas deliveries via Turkish Stream had reached a historic high—exceeding 50 million cubic meters per day. On an annual basis, this represents an increase of more than 25%, with a 2% rise in monthly volumes.