Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Prodan said Tuesday Ukraine may make a prepayment to Russia for gas before Dec. 1, reiterating that the country expected to buy up to 1.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas from Russia by the end of the year.
"Purchases will start once the cold sets in. It's possible we'll start [prepayments] before Dec. 1 ... the situation is not yet critical," Prodan told journalists.