KIEV, April 3 - The use of natural gas in Ukraine increased 1.5% year-on-year in January-February to 16.495 billion cubic meters (bcm), the country's Energy and Coal Industry Ministry reported.

Gas consumption in February was up 8.5% year-on-year at 8.732 bcm.

Ukraine imported half as much gas - 6.172 bcm - over the two months as it did during the same period of 2011. This drop was associated with the purchase by national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny of large amounts of gas over the two months in the fulfillment of a Stockholm arbitration court ruling on the return to Switzerland's RosUkrEnergo of 12.1 bcm.