Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the receipt of $2.9 billion from Russia's Gazprom, which was awarded to Ukraine's Naftogaz by a Stockholm arbitration court, as a big victory for Ukraine.

"One more victory. Maybe, a little one, some would say. But for this country, this is a big one. NJSC [National Joint-Stock Company] Naftogaz Ukrainy has received from Gazprom $2.9 billion in compensation, as awarded by the Stockholm arbitration court. The money is on Ukrainian accounts now, as was agreed," Zelensky said on Facebook late on Friday.

As reported earlier, Ukraine, Russia, and the European Commission signed in Minsk on December 20 an intergovernmental protocol envisaging a package agreement with $2.9 billion due to Naftogaz from Gazprom as awarded by the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce; the parties rejected existing claims, including the settlement of a $7.4-billion fine of Ukraine's Antimonopoly Committee and the signing of a five-year transit agreement (65 bcm of gas to be transited in 2020, and 40 bcm per year from 2021 to 2024) that could be extended for ten years.

The "transit" part of the package of documents to be signed includes an interconnection agreement between operators on connecting the networks between Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine LLC and Gazprom, as well as an agreement between Naftogaz and Gazprom for the organization of gas transportation with a subsequent transportation agreement between Naftogaz and Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine LLC.

Earlier on Friday, Naftogaz Executive Director Yuriy Vitrenko confirmed the transfer of $2.918 billion by Gazprom.

"Yes, Ukraine has received $2.918 billion from Gazprom in line with the Stockholm arbitration ruling," Vitrenko said on Facebook.

"Today's Gazprom payment includes both the earlier unpaid compensation award ($2.56 billion) and interest accrued from the day the award was announced on February 28, 2018," Naftogaz said in a statement.

The parties will continue talks on terms of further cooperation after the existing contracts expire on January 1, 2020, the statement said.

Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev said on Facebook that "work on the transit agreement continues."