KIEV, Oct. 30 – Ukraine will pay its overdue bill for Russian natural gas supplies before the end of October, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytskiy said Wednesday.

The argument over the $882 million bill came amid an escalation of tensions between Ukraine and Russia and could lead to disruption of gas supplies in the region.

"We always pay our partners," Stavytskiy told reporters on Wednesday. "We plan [to pay] today or maximum tomorrow."