Gazprom Receives Ukraine's Gas Prepayment, Waiting for Delivery Schedule

MOSCOW, December 8 (Sputnik) – Russian gas giant Gazprom has received a prepayment from Ukraine’s Naftogaz for a total of 1 billion cubic meters of gas, but has so far not received a schedule of when the deliveries are to start, Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told RIA Novosti on Monday.

“The money [from Ukraine] is on our accounts. We’re waiting for a volume request,” Kupriyanov said.

On Friday, Naftogaz made a prepayment of $378 million for the delivery of Russian gas for December.

On Sunday, Ukrainian Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchishin stated that Ukraine will begin the import of 1 billion cubic meters of Russian gas, which it has paid for, on Monday.

On October 31, Gazprom head Alexei Miller, pledged that Russia is ready to turn on the gas tap within 48 hours of receiving payment from Kiev.

In June, Moscow switched Ukraine to a prepayment system for gas deliveries in light of Kiev's gas debt in excess of $5 billion at the time. Since then, Ukraine has been drawing gas from its own reserves and has been receiving gas through reverse flows from several European countries.

In October, Moscow and Kiev reached an interim agreement for Russian gas to be supplied to Ukraine through winter until March 2015. According to the deal, Kiev should pay Moscow $3.1 billion by the end of 2014 to cover part of its debt. In November, Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz paid $1.45 billion of its debt to Gazprom.