Russian Energy Ministry: Problem of isolation of Kaliningrad, Crimea from gas supply solved

MOSCOW. July 21 (Interfax) - Russia has solved the problem of the isolation of the Kaliningrad region and Crimea from gas supply, Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Energy Ministry is overseeing the supply of gas and electricity to Crimea and Kaliningrad, Shulginov said.

"On Kaliningrad: we're ready to work in isolation, and fuel supply issues have also been solved using underground storage facilities and the Marshal Vasilevsky Floating Storage Regasification Unit, as well as the purchase of another two LNG carriers," Shulginov said.

"As concerns Crimea, following Chornomornaftogaz ceasing gas production, it's necessary to replenish volumes. Decisions have been made to pump additional gas into the Glebovskoye gas storage facility so that there's more working gas to cover peaks, as well as supplies of gas through Krasnodar's system to Crimea. We need to decide on financing. As it is, we're currently working with the Finance Ministry and with the Republic of Crimea on which option to act on," he said.

"A very serious task is to prepare the DNR and LNR republics for winter, as well as the freed and liberated territories. We're working in the areas of preparing for winter and restoring lines and trunk lines connecting the republics, the main substations. So there's a lot of work here, and it's only growing," Shulginov said.

"Under special control is the preparation of the adjacent Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions, where there are also problems of damage to network infrastructure by these actions. And we're constantly doing restoration work there, and we also need to ensure these preparations by winter," he said.