Ukraine would require Russian gas to create gas stocks for the 2015/16 heating season, Energy and Coal Industry Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Demchyshyn has said.

"We would need Russian gas to prepare for the heating season," he said.

He refused to name a figure concerning the volumes of Russian gas supply to Ukraine.

He said that by the beginning of the next heating season it is planned to accumulate 19 billion cubic meters of gas in Ukrainian underground storage facilities. Today, gas stocks total 7.7 billion cubic meters.

Ukraine imports around 60 million cubic meters of gas from Europe daily, or 1.8 billion cubic meters a month. Ukrainian gas production totals some 55 million cubic meters.

"Maybe it is impossible to say that we will be able to accumulate 19 billion cubic meters of gas without Russian gas," Demchyshyn added.