KIEV, Feb. 3– A number of European countries are receiving less natural gas than expected through the Ukrainian gas transport system due to a reduction in supplies by Russia's Gazprom, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boyko said.

"The main problem is that there is severe cold in Russia, and gas supplies to Ukraine have been significantly reduced. Under the technical agreement of 490 million cubic meters per day, supplies currently stand at 415 million cubic meters per day," he told reporters in Kiev on Friday.