OREANDA-NEWS German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that the occupancy of the country's underground gas storage facilities is only 26%. In order to fill them completely, it will take six months. Gas storage facilities are filled by 0.3-0.5% daily. Germany can achieve one hundred percent fullness of storage facilities only at the expense of Russian gas.

«We could do without Russian gas in spring, summer and autumn, but in winter the storage facilities would be empty, and we need the capacity to overcome the winter», Habek said. The Minister also added that a law will be approved in the near future, which obliges gas storage operators to ensure their filling at the level of 80%.

Earlier, the Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov expressed bewilderment regarding the statements of the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen that Moscow's demand to pay for gas supplies in rubles would allegedly create risks for European companies. According to him, von der Leyen should seek clarification from representatives of companies that buy Russian gas in Europe, who have already received all the necessary data on the payment mechanism.

«We have repeatedly explained that the buying companies paid in euros, so they will pay [in it], but simply to their other accounts, which will then also be converted into rubles on their accounts», the Kremlin representative said.