KIEV, January 15. /TASS/. Ukraine doubles gas import from Slovakia over the past 24 hours, press service of Ukraine’s gas transporting company, Ukrtransgaz, said on Friday.

Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine "received 27.1 million cubic meters from Slovakia," while "by the time of bigger import of gas from the territory of Europe, the daily supplies of natural gas from Slovakia made 11.4 million cubic metres [on January 13]," the press service said.

According to the import request for Friday, Ukraine will pump 26.9 million cubic meters a day from Slovakia and 1.4 million cubic metres from Hungary.

The national gas company, Naftogaz of Ukraine, said on Thursday it would purchase 1.7 bln cubic meters of gas at the price of $188-211 per 1,000 cubic meters using a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

"Following the results of the tenders Naftogaz of Ukraine bought gas at the price from $188 to $211 per 1,000 cubic meters," the company said.

According to the company, in December 2015 and January 2016 "27 procurement procedures were carried out, 17 of which were declared valid." "As a result the company bought about 1.7 bln cubic meters of gas for delivery during the period from December 2015 by March 2016," the company said.

Eleven European companies won the tender, which previously passed the pre-selection procedure by the standards of the EBRD. They were chosen by the lowest price, the company said.

"Naftogaz of Ukraine also buys gas in the European market at competitive terms using its own funds," the company said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that Ukraine refused to buy gas from Russia at the price of $212 for 1,000 cubic meters. "On January 1, they [Russia — TASS] drew up an account with the gas price of $212 for 1,000 cubic meters. We do not purchase gas in Russia, because we buy cheaper gas from the European Union than proposed by Russia. The average price of gas in the EU is about $200," Yatsenyuk said.