ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) — Direct deliveries of Russian gas to conflict-torn southeastern Ukraine since February amount to nearly 700 million cubic meters, Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov said Friday.
“A total of 690 million cubic meters [of gas] have been supplied since February," Kupriyanov told reporters.
Russia started direct gas supplies to the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics on February 19, as Kiev refused to deliver gas to these regions claiming that the gas transporting infrastructure was critically damaged.
Late in May, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said that Ukraine’s debt for the supplies of Russian natural gas to the country’s southeast stood at $200 million.
Russian officials including Energy Minister Alexander Novak repeatedly said that Ukraine’s state-run energy company Naftogaz must pay for the deliveries of Russian gas to Donetsk and Lugansk, otherwise this issue would be taken to a court.
