The Naftohaz Ukrainy national joint-stock company owes the RosUkrEnergo company USD 2.4 billion for gas supplies.

RosUkrEnergo’s spokesman Andrii Knutov announced this to Ukrainian News.

According to Knutov, the amount of debt that Naftohaz Ukrainy said it owed for gas supplies was wrong.

«The information that Naftohaz Ukrainy disseminated about the size of its debt to the RosUkrEnergo company does not correspond to reality. As of today, the financial obligation of Naftohaz Ukrainy amounts to USD 2.4 billion,» Knutov said.

According to Knutov, RosUkrEnergo is unable to conduct timely and full gas settlements with the Gazprom gas monopoly (Russia) because of this.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Naftohaz Ukrainy earlier announced that it owed a debt of USD 1.26-1.27 billion to RosUkrEnergo for gas supplies.

According to Naftohaz Ukrainy’s Deputy Board Chairman Volodymyr Trykolych, Naftohaz Ukrainy Naftohaz Ukrainy does not owe debts to Gazprom because RosUkrEnergo is the exclusive importer of natural gas to Ukraine.

RosUkrEnergo announced in early July that Naftohaz Ukrainy owed USD 2 billion for gas supplies.

Naftohaz Ukrainy denied owing USD 2 billion and said that its debt did not exceed USD 897 million as of July 1.

Gazprom announced on November 17 that it was necessary for Naftohaz Ukrainy to pay its gas debt before a transition to direct gas supplies to Ukraine in 2009.

Naftohaz Ukrainy and Gazprom are presently holding negotiations on supply if natural gas to Ukraine in 2009 and subsequent years.