KIEV, June 06. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine imported 12.5 billion cubic meters of gas in January-May, up 32.55% on the year, pipeline operator Ukrtransgaz said in a statement Friday.

In May, imports soared to 710.7 billion cubic meters. “The increase of purchases was due to the start of an underground storage pumping season, where 12.6 billion cubic meters are already held as of May 31,” the company said.

Ukraine will drive the volume of gas that it stores to 13 billion cubic meters by July, parliament-appointed Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.