KIEV, Aug. 18 – The Ukrainian government should settle the debts owed by Naftogaz Ukrayiny to Ukrgazvydobuvannia for produced gas, Ukrgazvydobuvannia Chairman Oleh Prokhorenko said.

"This is the systemic problem. For example, we sell gas to Naftogaz Ukrayiny, but now [in summer] it is not sold, but it is pumped to underground storage facilities and Naftogaz does not receive hard cash. The royalty under Ukrainian law appears at the moment of gas production and we have to pay it. This is not the problem of Naftogaz Ukrayiny, this is the problem of the system. The issue is of the governmental level, as the problem appears year in and year out," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.