According to estimates from TASS based on data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), natural gas injection rates into underground storage facilities (UGS) in the European Union for June are 20% lower than the same period last year. As of now, a total of 2.4 billion cubic meters of gas has been injected, which is also 8% below the historical average for this date. Currently, UGS facilities are only 42.5% full, down from 51% a year earlier, containing 46.5 billion cubic meters of gas. Gazprom has highlighted that Europe continues to set records for low gas storage levels. The European Commission mandates that EU countries must fill their storage facilities to 90% by December 1 each year, allowing for a 10% flexibility under challenging conditions. To meet this requirement for the winter of 2026-2027, at least 68 billion cubic meters must be injected, while last year only about 55 billion cubic meters were achieved. Additionally, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is expected to keep fuel prices elevated due to increased competition for liquefied natural gas.