Ukraine increased gas consumption to 19.8 bcm in 2023 - energy minister

MOSCOW. Jan 31 (Interfax) - Ukraine increased natural gas consumption to 19.8 billion cubic meters in 2023, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.

"The level of gas consumption increased in 2023. This means that our industry and our economy are recovering," Ukrainian media quoted Galushchenko as saying during the national TV marathon on Wednesday.

Ukraine expects to satisfy its demand for gas through its own production in 2024, Galushchenko said. "We need to increase extraction to cover consumption growth that we expect as much as possible. We're working on that," he said.

As reported, Ukraine in 2022 reduced gas consumption by one-third to 19.3 billion cubic meters, while extraction declined by 6% to 18.54 billion cubic meters.