KYIV, July 19 – Naftogaz Ukrayiny was forced to apply to eurobond holders with a proposal to voluntarily defer payments on securities for two years in connection with the government's decision to accumulate 19 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas for the upcoming heating season and the need to find about $8 billion for these purposes, head of the board Yuriy Vitrenko said.

"Based on the real drop in consumption, it would be enough for us to have 15 billion cubic meters in the UGS before the start of the heating season - this is even with some reserve. But the government has set the highest bar - 19 billion cubic meters," he said on the air of the national telethon.