Kiev says Russia has cut off all gas to Ukraine

Ukraine's energy minister said Russia had cut off all gas supplies to Kiev today but he guaranteed reliable gas flows would continue to Russia's European clients who get imports through pipelines via Ukraine.

“We have an announcement to make today - that gas supplies to Ukraine have been reduced to zero,” energy minister Yuri Prodan told a news briefing.

Ukraine has almost 14 billion cubic metres of gas in underground storage, enough to meet its needs until December, the chief executive of state gas company Naftogaz said today.

Ukrainian prime minister Arseny Yatseniuk, sitting beside Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev at a news briefing, blamed the breakdown of talks in a gas pricing dispute on Russia, saying Moscow had hoped to cause Kiev problems in winter. "But it is not about gas. It is a general Russian plan to destroy Ukraine," Mr Yatseniuk said.

Agencies