KIEV, Jan. 28 - Ukraine’s largest oil company, UkrNafta, said Thursday it will channel 800 million hryvnias, or $100 million, in dividends to Naftogaz Ukrayiny by February 5, the deadline by which Naftogaz must pay its monthly Russian natural gas bill.

Naftogaz must pay a total of about $500 million to Russian gas giant Gazprom on February 5 to cover gas imports in January, according to acting Finance Minister Ihor Umanskiy.