KIEV, Aug. 13 - Ukraine, which faces natural gas shortages due to a dispute with Russia, plans to start Friday testing a Slovakian route for supplies of European gas, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan said Wednesday.

“Starting August 15 there will be test-run supplies so that we could see what volumes of gas could be supplied” via Slovakia, Prodan said.

Ukraine plans to start massive imports of gas via Slovakia in September through Vojany-Uzhgorog gas pipeline with a total capacity of up to 10 billion cu m of gas annually.