KIEV, Nov. 7 – Naftogaz Ukrayiny since early November has been forced to cut back on Russian natural gas purchases because local utilities have been slow in paying their debts, the Ukrainian national oil and gas company's deputy CEO, Vadym Chuprun, told Interfax-Ukraine in Kiev on Wednesday, November 6.

"This is linked to the fact that money has to be paid, and we're failing to recover the debts of heat supply companies," he said.