Ukraine starts storing up gas for winter - PM

MOSCOW. April 29 (Interfax) - Ukraine has started replenishing its supply of natural gas for the next winter season, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said.

"We have concluded contracts for 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas since the start of the year," Ukrainian media quoted Shmygal as saying at a government meeting on Tuesday.

"Naftogaz will also purchase another 300 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Polish company Orlen," Shmygal said.

"We're diversifying energy sources to guarantee that we have enough gas for next winter," he said.

The Ukrainian gas producing infrastructure sustained losses "in the amount of nearly 50% of the entire production volume" last winter, he said.

The Ukrainian government is working actively now to compensate for those losses, particularly through imports, he said.