The supply of natural gas for Bulgaria was suspended on the border of Ukraine and Romania at 3.30 a.m on January 6. The supply cut of the blue fuel also affected Greece, Turkey and Macedonia. A day later all supplies of Russian natural gas through the territory of Ukraine for the countries of Western Europe were also suspended. The unprecedented measure marked the peak in the "ordinary" New Year gas conflict between Moscow and Kiev concerning the transit of gas through Ukraine, the paid transit fees, and the price at which Kiev receives the supplies of fuel.

Bulgaria suffered the biggest losses due to the suspended gas supply, because it does not have even one alternative gas pipeline from which it could receive fuel from Russia or other countries. The emergency situation coincided with the coldest days since the beginning of the year. All district heating stations in the country work wholly on natural gas, as well as the metallurgical and chemical plants. Many thousands of households and industrial consumers wholly rely on the supply of the blue fuel as well.

Hours after the tap of the gas supply was turned off, in Sofia the Minister of Economy and Energy Petar Dimitrov summoned the institutional Council for security and management in times of crises, and later a restrictive mode of use of gas on the part of the industry was introduced - a measure, entailing the accumulation of immense losses. The gas output from the only big gas storage facility in Bulgaria was increased to the utmost possible maximum, while the district heating stations embarked on transitional procedures of using mazut as staple fuel.

On the seventh hour since the start of the crisis Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev summoned an operative session in the Council of Ministers. On the next day President Georgi Parvanov summoned the Consultative Council for national security. Meanwhile, the head of state launched the idea of blocks three and four of Kozloduy nuclear power plant, closed down for exploitation, being put back in operation ahead of time as a measure of guaranteeing the energy system in Bulgaria in the context of the energy crisis. In the capital Sofia the electricity consumption doubled as early as the first 48 hours after the onset of the crisis.

Some days later a similar demand was voiced also by the prime minister of Slovakia, which just like Bulgaria closed down its nuclear facilities ahead of schedule on the ground of agreements binding the country with the EU membership. As a full EU member-state, Bulgaria sought the cooperation of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek whose country is currently chairing the European Union. Prime Minister Stanishev had a telephone conversation with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin as well.

The Bulgarian position, upheld during these consultations, was explicit and unambiguous - Sofia is not a side and cannot take sides in the gas conflict between Moscow and Kiev; Bulgaria has valid contracts for receiving Russian natural gas and insists on their being accurately observed and met; the country will use legal means of claiming compensations for the suffered losses and missed benefits.