BRATISLAVA - Slovakia's largest gas supplier, SPP, announced on Thursday that it has begun importing Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline through Hungary as of Feb 1.

SPP maintains a valid contract with Russia's natural gas distribution company Gazprom, and its transit fees are significantly lower than those of other suppliers, the News Agency of the Slovak Republic quoted SPP board chair Vojtech Ferencz as saying.

The flow of Russian gas to Slovakia was suspended on Jan 1, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decided not to renew a contract allowing transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory to Slovakia.

According to Ferencz, gas supplies to Slovakia via TurkStream, the last remaining pipeline transporting Russian gas to Europe, are set to double in volume starting in April. He declined to provide further details.

Despite the increase, the pipeline's capacity is still insufficient to fully meet Slovakia's consumption needs, as the country remains heavily reliant on Russian gas, according to SPP trade division head Michal Lalik.