KIEV, Sept. 13 - Ukraine will be forced to seriously conserve energy in the fourth quarter when Russia’s natural gas price increases to $432 per 1,000 cubic meters, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boyko said Thursday.

Boyko’s latest Q4 price quote exceeds $430/1,000 cu m estimate given by a government source a week ago, also exceeding $417/1,000 cu m estimate given by Naftogaz in July.

The gas price, which is directly linked to a crude oil price quoting on world markets, will force the government to take measures to conserve energy to reduce the gas imports.