Ukraine might buy up to one million tonnes of fuel oil to replace the gas shortfall this winter, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan has told Interfax-Ukraine.

He said less fuel oil might be bought. The details will be clarified at forthcoming meetings of the anti-crisis energy headquarters.

"Companies, and perhaps the State Reserve, will be buying. For now we're determining the volumes," Prodan said.

He said the fuel oil would not be bought all at once, but in the course of the 2014/2015 heating season.

He told a Cabinet meeting that the use of fuel oil at the Kyiv and Kharkiv combined heat and power plants (CHPP) would save 1-1.5 bill ion cubic meters of gas.

"We in the anti-crisis headquarters are now considering to issue of fuel oil purchase - especially for the Kyiv, Kharkiv CHPPs. They can convert to fuel oil, and savings will amount to 1-1.5 billion cubic meters of gas. Of course this would be expensive, but in emergency situations - perhaps we need to use it," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroisman has said there are plans to replace about 3 billion cubic meters of gas with fuel oil.