Ukraine plans to reduce its purchases of Russian gas to about 20 billion cubic meters a year and increase supply from Europe next year as it tries to wean itself off Russia for its fuel needs, the Interfax news agency reports a senior executive at Naftogaz, Ukraine's state-owned oil and gas company, as saying.

Ukraine is on target to import 27.7 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia this year and Naftogaz had said in June it had intended to buy 27 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia in 2013, but later reduced the figure to 24.5 billion cubic meters.

Vadim Chuprun, Naftogaz deputy director, said Ukraine intends to increase its purchases of gas from European suppliers to 5 billion cubic meters to make up the difference.

The two countries have argued for years over gas prices as Ukraine has struggled with its near total reliance on its eastern neighbor for fuel.

Disputes over pricing and allegations of illegal siphoning of gas have twice in the past decade disrupted Russian gas supplies to Europe shipped through Ukraine, most recently in 2009. A severe cold spell in February of this year led to shortfalls across Eastern Europe as domestic gas demand in Russia hit record highs.

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