Russian gas begins flowing to Slovakia via TurkStream

Russian natural gas has begun flowing to Slovakia via the TurkStream pipeline, Slovak newspaper Dennik reported on February 6, citing Vojtech Ferencz, chairman of the country’s national gas transmission system operator SPP.

Deliveries started on February 1, and Ferencz said supplies would double from April. He noted that Slovakia’s contract with Gazprom Export remains valid until 2034 and that the country has no plans to terminate it.

The shift to a new route follows the halting of Russian natural gas transit via Ukraine to Slovakia and other European markets on January 1, following the expiry of Moscow and Kyiv’s long-term transit contract. TurkStream is now the only pipeline route for Russian gas exports to the EU.

Previously, Russian gas was delivered to Slovakia and Austria via pipelines crossing Ukraine, while Serbia, Hungary and Bulgaria have received most of their supplies from Turkey. Gazprom exports gas to Turkey through the Blue Stream and TurkStream pipelines, both laid across the Black Sea.

Slovakia had relied on Russian gas via Ukraine to cover around 60% of its demand, representing a greater level of reliance than any other EU member state, explaining Bratislava’s aggressive but unsuccessful effort to ensure gas flow through the route continued this year.

Amid Kyiv’s statements that the Ukraine transit contract would not be renewed beyond January 1, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico travelled to Moscow. In late December 2024 he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and later confirmed that the visit was aimed at negotiating gas issues. A Slovak parliamentary delegation also visited Moscow last month, with Deputy Speaker Andrej Danko meeting Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin on January 13.

Following the transit halt, Fico threatened Ukraine with withholding EU aid and cutting off electricity supply to the country, among other measures. The Slovak government claims the loss of transit fees will cost the country around €500mn ($517mn) –  revenues previously earned from gas shipments mainly to the Czech Republic and Hungary.

On 13 January, Fico proposed talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Russian gas transit, stating that he had “no intention of further escalating tensions.”

Russian gas via TurkStream arrives in Slovakia via Hungary. Hungarian pipeline operator FGSZ announced on January 14 it was expanding its annual gas export capacity to Slovakia to 3.5bn cubic metres from 2.63 bcm starting in April.