Ukraine intends to obtain the Russia's permit to postpone payment of debt for gas pumped in underground gas storage facilities and is not used by the Ukrainian consumers, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said this in the report at the Cabinet of Ministers consultations.

She said that in mid-1990s Ukraine paid for the gas, which had been pumped into the underground storage facilities only after it was used by the Ukrainian consumers.

"But Russia urged Ukraine to pay for the pumped but not used gas," Tymoshenko said.

She also said that thus, during the last two months, the delegation of the Naftohaz Ukrainy national joint-stock company held regular consultations and talks with the Russian Gazprom on the payment for the gas pumped into the underground gas storage facilities.

At the same time, the prime minister said that the Naftohaz Ukrainy has no current debts but the debt for the gas pumped in October.

Tymoshenko said that on November 24, the Naftohaz Ukrainy delegation will leave for the talks with Gazprom on regulation of this issue.

The prime minister said that Ukraine is ready for the heating season having over 17 billion cubic meters of gas pumped into the underground gas storage facilities.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, RosUkrEnergo announced on November 20 that Naftohaz Ukrainy owed it USD 2.4 billion for gas supplies.

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has said that transition to direct gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine would be impossible if Ukraine fails to pay the gas debt of USD 2.4 billion.