KIEV, Sept. 16 – Ukraine is to accumulate 16-18 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in its underground storage facilities by winter, which should be enough to ensure a comfortable heating season, Energy and Coal Industry Ministry Volodymyr Demchyshyn said.

"We've got at least a month when we should pump at least one billion cubic meters of gas into the [underground] storage facilities. If there are no force majeure circumstances, there should realistically be 16 billion cubic meters by the beginning of the heating season, which is not that less than last year. Taking into account lower consumption, in fact, the situation isn't that critical, but to feel safe, we plan to get money and pump at least two more billion [cubic meters of natural gas into the underground storage facilities]," he said at a press conference in Kiev on Tuesday.