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Ukraine plans to buy 2.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia under "winter deal"

15 November 2014 00:55 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said Friday that his country was planning to purchase 2.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia starting from November 2014 through the end of March 2015, APA report quoting Xinhua.

"According to preliminary plans, we intend to buy up to 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas by the end of the current year and up to 1 billion cubic meters next year, but it will depend on the weather," Prodan said in an interview with the local Novoe Vremya (New Times) newspaper.

Ukraine has not purchased gas from Russia under the so-called "winter deal," which was signed in late October, because it has enough gas reserves to cover domestic needs in the short term, Prodan said.

As of mid-November, Ukraine has accumulated some 16 billion cubic meters of gas in its storage facilities, he added.

On Oct. 30, Kiev and Moscow inked a gas deal in Brussels, under which Ukraine will receive gas supply from Russia in the cold season on the pre-payment basis.

The winter gas supply plan envisages that Ukraine is not obliged to buy the exact amount of gas or pay for it under the so-called "take-or-pay" principle if it does not import it.