Russian energy giant Gazprom confirmed on Monday that Ukraine`s Naftogaz had paid in full for Russian natural gas supplies in October, according to RIA Novosti.
"Naftogaz has paid in full for gas supplies in October," a Gazprom spokesman said.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Friday that Ukraine had paid the $500 million bill, but the information was not immediately confirmed by Gazprom.
Bohdan Sokolovskyi, a Ukrainian presidential envoy for international energy security, said the cash-strapped ex-Soviet state had converted its special drawing rights (SDRs) into dollars to make the payment.
The European Commission signaled on Friday that it wants confirmation of Ukraine`s gas payment for October, according to Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, a European Commission deputy spokesperson.
In late October, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned against possible problems with Kiev`s payment for gas, saying they could cause difficulties for European consumers receiving Russian gas via Ukraine.
A dispute between Moscow and Kiev at the start of the year over gas debts and 2009 deliveries left millions of Europeans without gas in January.
