KYIV, March 26 - Ukraine has lowered gas stocks in underground storage facilities by 52.7% or 8.938 billion cubic meters (bcm), to 8.035 bcm between October 24, when the heating season began, and March 24, Ukrtransgaz, which operates the country's gas pipelines and 12 underground gas storage facilities, has said.

Ukraine withdrew 1.95 bcm from underground storage in the period of March 1-24 or an average daily 81.25 million cubic meters (mcm). It withdrew 2.529 bcm in February (90.34 mcm per day), 2.178 bcm in January (70.24 mcm), 1.427 bcm in December (46.05 mcm), 745.38 mcm in November (24.85 mcm), and 115.79 mcm in October (3.74 mcm), the figures show.