KYIV, Dec. 30 - Gazprom will pay Ukraine at least $7.2 billion over the next five years for shipments of Russian natural gas to Europe, Yuriy Vitrenko, commercial director at Naftogaz Ukrayiny, said Monday.

The disclosed sum represents the minimum payment, while the actual payments may exceed $10 billion as Gazprom is expected to ship more gas via Ukrainian gas pipelines.