KIEV, Oct. 2 - Ukraine will buy two offshore platforms to boost domestic natural gas output, state oil and gas firm Naftogaz said on Tuesday, as the country seeks to ease its dependence on imports from Russia.

Naftogaz said it would buy the platforms in open tenders and expected them to cost about $1.4 billion. Proposals will be accepted until Oct. 29, it said.

The company said it planned to use the facilities to explore oil and gas fields on the country's Black Sea shelf.