Ukraine submitted an application to Gazprom to purchase only 24.5 kb m of gas in 2013, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Yuriy Boyko told reporters.

According to Boyko, the application was sent to Gazprom within the deadlines established by the contract. According to him, this was done at the end of June. “We are proceeding from the application that we sent - this is 24.5 kb m,” RIA Novosti quotes the minister .

It is worth noting that earlier, due to the high price of fuel, Ukraine notified the Russian side of its intention to reduce purchases of Russian gas in 2012 from the 52 billion cubic meters of gas provided for in the contract to 27 billion cubic meters.

However, the Russian side stated that the time for negotiations on the volume of fuel purchases for 2012 has already been lost, since the annual contract volume can be changed no later than six months before the start of deliveries.

As for 2013, the head of Naftogaz, Yevgeny Bakulin, said that next year the application for the purchase of Russian gas will amount to 27 billion cubic meters.

As Boyko reported today, the current application for 24.5 kb m has not yet been agreed upon - the parties are in the process of negotiations.

Let us remind you that Naftogaz imports Russian natural gas under a contract dated January 19, 2009. The agreements signed at that time do not suit the Ukrainian side, which is seeking a revision of their price parameters. Until their revision, Naftogaz intends to reduce purchases of Russian gas due to its high cost.

In January-July, Ukraine has already reduced imports of Russian gas by 39% compared to the same period in 2011 to 18.738 billion cubic meters. At the same time, Gazprom insists that Naftogaz, according to the current contract, must pay at least 80% the volume of gas provided for 2012, that is, 41.6 billion cubic meters out of 52 billion cubic meters.

Ukraine intends to buy only 24.5 billion cubic meters of gas from Gazprom in 2013