Gazprom: Kiev fails to prepay on time, supplies may stop in 2 days

MOSCOW, Feb 24 (PRIME) -- Ukraine has not made a prepayment for Russian gas timely, and gas giant Gazprom may stop gas supplies in two days, CEO Alexei Miller told reporters Tuesday.

“Ukraine has not made a new prepayment for gas timely. As of today, there is only 219 million cubic meters of the prepaid gas left. It takes about two days to register (energy company) Naftogaz Ukrainy’s money on a Gazprom’s account,” Miller said.

“That is why, the supply of gas to Ukraine at the ordered amount of 114 million cubic meters will result in a full stop of Russian gas supplies to Ukraine in two days already, which creates serious risks to gas transit to Europe,” Miller said.

On Monday, Naftogaz Ukrainy accused Gazprom of failing to supply the preordered amount of gas. The company said that Gazprom delivered only 47 million cubic meters of gas on February 22 out of 114 million cubic meters that the Ukrainian firm ordered and paid for in advance on February 19.

Kiev said that Gazprom started supplying gas through measuring stations on the territories controlled by separatists on February 19, while officially, Gazprom indicated other supply routes.

Naftogaz Ukrainy said earlier that it stopped gas supplies to the east of Ukraine because of serious damages to a pipeline. Gazprom undertook to supply gas directly to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics. Naftogaz Ukrainy CEO Andrei Kobolev said that the company will not pay for the gas that Gazprom delivers to the region.

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