MOSCOW—Ukraine has received the first tranche of $3.19 billion from the International Monetary Fund's emergency rescue package of $17 billion approved last week, the National Bank of Ukraine said Wednesday.
The much-needed funds may be used to pay off part of the $3.5 billion debt Ukraine owes Russia for natural gas.
Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom set Wednesday as the deadline for the payment and has threatened to introduce prepayment for future deliveries if Ukraine doesn't pay on time.
On Friday, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Gazprom would ask that deliveries scheduled in June be paid for upfront unless Kiev started repaying some of its debts by May 16, a move, that he added, could result in supplies being disrupted.
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