Ukraine Sends $378 mln Prepayment for Russian Gas

 

Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz said on Friday it had transferred a prepayment of $378 million to Russia's Gazprom to buy Russian gas for December, paving the way for the first shipments since Moscow cut supplies in June.

In line with a deal signed by Naftogaz and Gazprom in October, flows to Ukraine from Russia, which were severed in a dispute over prices and debts, will resume within 48 hours from when the Russian firm receives the transfer.

Naftogaz did not say how much gas it planned to buy, but earlier the energy ministry said this could be about one billion cubic metres.

(Reporting By Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Mark Trevelyan)