ST. PETERSBURG, February 3. /TASS/. Almost 260 thousand cars in Russia run on natural gas, Board Chairman of Gazprom Viktor Zubkov said on Friday at an opening ceremony of three gas filling stations in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

"About 260,000 vehicles at present. What has been built today will allow receiving the same number of cars. Another 250-260 thousand vehicles, which makes half a million automobiles," Zubkov said.

Gazprom has built more than 700 gas filling stations in Russia over the last decade.

"Ten years ago, Gazprom launched a program to convert transport to natural gas. Almost 700 refueling stations have been built from scratch over that period - these are the modern refueling sites that make it possible to recharge 500 or more vehicles per day," the Board Chairman said.