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Ukraine plans to have 14.6 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas in underground storage for the 2026-2027 heating season, energy minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday.
He said on Telegram messenger that the plan to accumulate 14.6 bcm was the "base-case scenario", while the critically necessary minimum would be a reserve of 13.2 bcm.
Ukraine had about 13.2 bcm of gas in storage facilities before the start of the previous heating season in October 2025.
Shmyhal did not specify how much gas Ukraine currently has in storage or how much it intends to import.
"It is clear that next winter will be just as challenging as this one. Therefore, given the current situation, the forecast may be revised depending on the security situation," he said.
Shmyhal noted that Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz and the Ukrainian Gas Transmission System Operator were already working on the issue of reserving potential capacity for natural gas imports and extending the validity of the so-called Vertical Gas Corridor.
The route allows Ukraine to receive liquefied natural gas (LNG) from terminals in Greece.
After Russia stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian gas production late last year, Ukraine, which previously imported only small volumes of gas, was forced to increase daily imports to around 24 mcm.
However, it sharply cut gas imports starting April 1, and analysts said they would likely remain low at least through April, with purchases possibly increasing if prices on the European market decline.
The Iran war has sent global gas and oil prices surging.
Analysts at Kyiv-based ExPro consultancy said this month that Ukraine ended the 2025/26 heating season on March 10 and gas reserves in storage stood at 9.5 bcm, 1.6 times higher than a year earlier.
Analysts also said Ukraine can acquire the gas needed for the next heating season from domestic production, without resorting to costly imports.