Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy has denied media reports of damage to the Central Asia–Center gas pipeline, which supplies Russian natural gas to the country.

Earlier, several Ukrainian media outlets, citing sources, claimed that explosions on August 2 in Russia’s Volgograd region had allegedly put out of service a main gas pipeline supplying energy to defense industry enterprises, including MiG and Magnum-K plants.

“This information does not correspond to reality. The pipeline through which Uzbekistan imports gas from Russia is operating normally,” the Ministry of Energy’s press service said.

The ministry clarified that the Uzbek side had contacted dispatcher services in Kazakhstan and Russia, and no confirmation of any damage was received.

According to Kazakhstan’s media citing the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, gas transportation across the country is proceeding without interruption: “In connection with the spread of reports about incidents on the Central Asia–Center trunk pipeline, we inform you that gas transportation within the Republic of Kazakhstan is operating normally. No disruptions in transit or the functioning of gas transportation infrastructure have been recorded.”

The Kazakh ministry also emphasized that natural gas deliveries to Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan’s territory are being carried out in full and in accordance with the established schedule.

The Central Asia–Center gas pipeline, operated by Russia’s Gazprom, was built between 1960 and 1988 to connect Turkmenistan’s gas fields with Russia via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Its eastern branch includes four pipelines—No. 1, 2, 4, and 5—originating from Turkmenistan’s southeastern fields. Originally, Uzbek and Turkmen gas was supplied to Russia through this route.

Since October 2023, Uzbekistan has been importing Russian gas in reverse mode through Pipeline No. 4. The other three lines are currently idle due to the absence of an agreement between Turkmenistan and Russia on continuing supplies.