Ukraine accumulates 59.5 pct of natural gas needed for heating season: PM

KIEV, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine has accumulated 11.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas in its storages, or 59.5 percent of the country's needs for powering its heating facilities during the cold season, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday.

Shmyhal told a cabinet meeting that Ukraine has pumped 3 billion cubic meters of gas into its reserves since the start of the year, the government press service reported.

He added that Ukraine's coal reserves reached 1.5 million tons in mid-July, more than two times higher than the guaranteed reserves for this time determined by official documents.

This month, Ukraine agreed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on obtaining about 300 million U.S. dollars to prepare for the heating season, Shmyhal said.