Medvedev: Ukraine must pay for gas

Ukraine must pay for Russian gas supplied to rebel regions in the east of the country, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, opening the possibility of a new gas dispute in the dead of winter. Ukrainian state-owned company Naftogaz has warned that it will not pay for gas deliveries to rebel regions.

"Judging by existing contractual obligations, Kyiv must pay for Russian gas," Medvedev wrote on his Facebook page, reports Biznis.ba.

Medvedev said Ukraine's immediate payments could only cover three or four days of supplies at current volumes, taking into account deliveries to the rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia is supplying Ukraine with gas now that it has been paid in advance. Medvedev announced that Russia will continue to supply gas, adding that the supply to separatist regions in eastern Ukraine was done for humanitarian reasons.