KIEV, Nov. 26 – Ukraine's state gas firm Naftogaz Ukrayiny will face a shortage of $4 billion for the purchase of Russian gas in 2010, President Vikor Yushchenko’s top energy envoy said.

"Even if the transit rate [in 2010] grows and the system for collecting payments for gas on the domestic market is improved, Naftogaz will still face a shortage of around $4 billion," Bohdan Sokolovsky said in Kiev on Thursday.