KIEV, Feb. 5 - Ukraine and Russia agreed to hike by 63% the fee that Ukraine charges for transit of Russian natural gas to markets in the European Union, a senior official at Naftogaz Ukrayiny said Friday.

The fee will increases to $2.78 for transit of 1,000 cubic meters of Russian gas for a distance of 100 km, up from $1.7/1,000 cu m charged in 2009, Ihor Didenko, the first deputy chief of Naftogaz Ukrayiny, said.