“Gazprom is devastating its underground storage facilities in Europe,”

Makogon told Ukraine pipeline operator’s press service. He said Gazprom-owned reservoirs in Germany are only 13% full, compared to a national average of 63%. Similarly, in Austria, Gazprom’s reservoirs are 14% full, while the national average is 48%. Talking before the Western Siberian explosion was known, he asserted: “Gazprom is extracting gas from storage facilities to fulfill its contracts. Accordingly, the gas shortage in Europe’s underground storage facilities is largely artificial.”