KIEV, Dec. 17 - Naftogaz Ukrayiny on Thursday predicted that shipments of Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukrainian pipelines will increase 20% to 113 billion cubic meters in 2010.

Naftogaz made the forecast assuming that the economic crisis currently plaguing many European countries will end, boosting demand for natural gas.

“We expect that the shipments will increase about 20% next year,” a spokesman at Naftogaz said Thursday.