Kiev  - Ukraine's natural gas monopoly Naftogaz Ukrainy on Wednesday made Russia a detailed offer on Europe energy shipments, suggesting an immediate return to pre-crisis volumes.

Russia would, according to the terms of the proposal, send into Ukraine's national pipeline network 318 million cubic metres of gas daily, with 296 million cubic metres reaching European customers.

The difference, some 22 million cubic metres, would be used by Ukraine's pipeline system to maintain pressure.

Russia began reductions in gas sent into Ukraine's pipeline system at the end of 2008, and imposed a total embargo on all deliveries last Thursday.

Deliveries to downstream nations would be effectively unchanged from pre-crisis levels, with 187 million cubic metres flowing onward to Slovakia, 24 million to Hungary, 6 million to Poland, 66 million to Romania, and 13 million to Moldova, according to the text of the proposal sent to Moscow.

Gazprom attempted on Tuesday to end an embargo on gas shipments to Europe with a single low volume transfer earmarked for the Balkan region, but Ukraine refused to accept the shipment citing difficulty in moving gas through one major pipeline while leaving others empty.

Gazprom and Naftogaz officials have clashed repeatedly, and publicly, over the validity over Ukraine's claim that the only way for Ukraine's pipeline system to deliver gas to Europe, is to increase volumes along all lines rather than just one.

Gazprom attempted to repeat the low-volume single transfer to the Balkan region on Wednesday, but Ukraine again refused it citing insufficient pressure in its pipeline to make the transfer without shutting off gas in four Ukrainian provinces along the route.

Naftogaz corporate headquarters made the terms of the proposal to the Russian natural gas monopoly public at the same time the offer was made to Gazprom, a rare case of openness for the usually secretive Ukrainian state-owned concern. (dpa)