MOSCOW, February 03. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s overdue payments for gas to Russia grew by 25% in January to $3.35 billion, Russia’s Vedomosti daily reports on Monday.

The newspaper says in January Ukraine received from Gazprom 2.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas worth almost $650 million.

In 2013, Naftogaz Ukrainy received from Russia about 13 billion cubic meters of natural gas for an average of $400 per one thousand cubic meters, a source close to Gazprom told the newspaper. The company’s debt to Gazprom in 2013 made $2.7 billion, which means the consumer failed to pay for over 50% of supplied gas.

In December, Ukraine received from Russia a discount, and the price for 2014 was fixed at $268.5. At that time the two countries also agreed the overdue payments for 2013 would be settled on January 25, Gazprom said. However, Ukraine would not pay, and even asks all payments are postponed, Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the president on January 29.

Naftogaz should pay to Gazprom for January before February 7.

“We already doubt Naftogaz will pay for the gas supplied in January,” the president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told the Vedomosti daily.

Naftogaz has refused to give any comments.

One of the measures Gazprom may use for Ukraine is to introduce advance payments for gas, Gazprom’s official says, this variant is possible, though a decision has not been made yet. “Under the contract, Gazprom has a right for introducing advance payments, but prior to that it would be necessary to understand the rate of Ukraine’s insolvency,” Peskov said.