KIEV, Nov. 18 - Ukraine may transfer prepayment to Russia for the supply of the amount of gas Ukraine needs, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan told reporters in Kiev on Tuesday.

"Gas purchase plans haven't changed: we plan to buy up to 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas by the end of the year. The purchases will start with the cold weather. Most likely we'll start before December 1. The situation isn't critical at the moment," he said.

Prodan, however, declined to disclose the size of the prepayment.