KIEV, Feb. 18 - Ukraine’s economy may further deteriorate this year due to the natural gas agreement signed with Russia on Jan. 19, a top Ukrainian security official said Wednesday.

Raisa Bohatyriova, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, criticized Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for negotiating the agreement.

“The signed gas agreements in Moscow bear great risks for the national economy and have all objective reasons to further worsen the recession and depreciation of the hryvnia,” Bohatyriova said in a statement.