KIEV, July 2 - Ukraine plans within months to begin modernization of its second major natural gas pipeline shipping Russian gas to markets in the European Union, Naftogaz Ukrayiny national energy company reported Monday.

Naftogaz seeks to upgrade the Soyuz pipeline in order to make it more efficient, and to expand the lifespan of turbines in gas compressor plants by at least 15 years.

The modernization will be carried out in cooperation with Ferrosta?l Industrieanlagen GmbH of Germany, according to a memorandum signed between Naftogaz and the German company on Monday.