KYIV (Reuters – Ukraine won’t reopen Sokhranovka’s gas transit route between Russia and European customers, until Kyiv takes control of its gas transit system. This was stated by GTSOU on Thursday.

Through that crossing point, the pipeline passes through Ukraine’s Luhansk Region. Since 2014, a portion of it has been controlled by Russia-backed separatists. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 24.

Sergiy Makogon, a Russian official in the gas industry, stated that Gazprom (MCX) had enough capacity to ship all its Europebound volumes via the Sudzha transit route. The line remains open.

Gazprom was unaware of Russian-backed separatists from Ukraine’s East stealing gas transiting Ukraine. Kyiv claimed that this is one reason it declared a “force majeure on gas flows via Sokhranovka.”