KIEV, Jan. 26 – UkrNafta, Ukraine’s largest oil company, at a shareholder meeting on Tuesday voted to pay 5.08 billion hryvnias, or $635.8 million, in dividends for 2006-2008, an official said.

At least half of the money is expected to be channeled to the government, which owns a 50% stake in UkrNafta, helping the government to pay for Russian natural gas imports by February 7.