PERM, November 7. /TASS/. Russia’s Energy Ministry expects an advance payment from the Ukrainian national energy company Naftogaz in the coming days for gas supplies in November and December this year, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday.

“We expect it in the coming days because the Ukrainian side has repaid the first debt tranche of $1.45 billion. Gazprom received this money on November 5. It has issued a bill for November at the price based on a discount, i.e. at $378 (per 1,000 cubic meters),” the energy minister said at an engineering and industrial forum in the Urals city of Perm.

“That is why, after Ukraine receives this bill, it will have to make a prepayment in the coming days (for gas supplies) in the amount of Ukraine’s requirements for November. The bill has been issued for 2 billion cubic meters,” Novak said.

Gazprom declined to comment on the issue.

Naftogas and Gazprom refuse to comment

Gazprom declined to comment on the issue.

Ukraine’s national energy company Naftogaz is neither commenting “at present” on the possible purchases of Russian natural gas in November, the Naftogaz press office said on Friday.

“Comments on this score will come later,” the Naftogaz press office said.

Naftogaz also declined to comment on the procedure and the terms of advance payments for November gas deliveries.

On Thursday the company said it had no approved prepayment schedule for Gazprom’s gas supplies.

“There is no approved schedule. Our requirement for gas will depend on the level of consumption in Ukraine,” Naftogaz told TASS in response to a question about when the company was planning to make advance payments for Gazprom’s natural gas supplies.

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller has said the Russian gas giant will resume natural gas supplies to Ukraine no later than 48 hours after Gazprom receives funds on its accounts under an interim gas deal reached between Moscow and Kiev in late October.

Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov has said Gazprom is ready to start gas supplies to Ukraine after Naftogaz fulfills its obligations.

The winter gas package agreed by Moscow and Kiev with the EU’s mediation allows for Russian natural gas supplies to Ukraine in the fourth quarter of 2014 at $378 per 1,000 cu m, considering Russia’s $100 price discount.

Ukraine plans to purchase 4 billion cu m of Russian natural gas until the end of this year as agreed in the winter package.

Gazprom CEO Miller said on the sidelines of the gas talks between Moscow and Kiev in Brussels in late October that Ukraine could purchase up to 7 billion cu m of Russian natural gas.