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stated that 2027 is the deadline for them. And they have taken upon themselves the corresponding obligations to completely stop using Russian gas," he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal said that Kiev is ready to continue the transit of Russian gas to Europe through its territory after the contract with Gazprom expires at the end of this year, but does not intend to negotiate this directly with Moscow. Shmygal suggested that gas could be purchased by European countries before it is pumped into the gas transportation system of Ukraine. In this case, Ukraine would formally transit European gas.
Ukraine adjusted the tariff for gas storage in its underground storage facilities to attract foreign traders. Ukraine offers customers competitive storage tariffs, which will not be revised until April 1, 2025. One of the key goals for 2024 is to increase the amount of gas that foreign energy companies store in Ukrainian underground storage facilities.
9.1.2 Automotive sector news
Sales of hybrid cars increased by 54%, and more than half of Ukrainians bought them in showrooms. In February, more than 1,500 hybrid passenger cars were added to the Ukrainian fleet, 54% more than last year. The share of new cars is 51%.
The new truck market in Ukraine grew by more than 40% in a month. In February, 1,025 new commercial vehicles (trucks and specialized vehicles) were sold in the Ukrainian market, 41% more than in February last year and 31% more than in January. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1,800 new vehicles have been added to the Ukrainian fleet of commercial vehicles, 26% more than in the corresponding period last year.
Imports of cars to the Ukrainian market increased by 34%. Ukrainians imported 58,593 vehicles in the first two months of 2024. Compared to the corresponding period last year, car imports increased by 34%. However, this is still almost 25% less than in January and February 2021.
9.1.3 Transport sector news
● Planes
Ukraine discusses the resumption of air transport with the US and the EU. The Minister of Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov, said that Ukraine is officially starting negotiations with US and EU regulators regarding the resumption of passenger air transport. The Ukrainian side has already conveyed to the regulators its vision of how the market will work under martial law conditions and its risk assessment, approaches, and algorithms. "There are not many examples in the world of airports operating where drones or missiles can arrive at any time. Israel is the most successful example. We spent a lot of time and continue to consult with the Civil Aviation Administration of Israel," he said. The minister added that at the planning level, there are different scenarios regarding the number of airports that can be reopened in Ukraine. Kubrakov gives his assurances that there are European airlines interested in returning to the Ukrainian air market, and want to be the first, but
74 UKRAINE Country Report April 2024 www.intellinews.com