KIEV, December 31. /TASS/. Ukraine’s minister of energy and coal industry Vladimir Demchishin is unaware of the increase of the Russian gas transit rate over the territory of Ukraine. "I cannot say anything so far. I am not aware," the minister said on Thursday.

Business Development Director of Naftogaz of Ukraine Yuri Vitrenko informed about the transit rate increase on December 30. "Ukraine has dramatically increased the transit rate for Gazprom at last," Vitrenko said in Facebook without details on the gas transit price and the effective date of such changes.

The rate is currently $2.7 per transportation of 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas to 100 km. Russia and Ukraine has an effective transit agreement expiring in 2019.