An employee of a Slovak gas company clears the glass
of a gauge, which shows the zero gas pressure in the pipelines, at the
border delivery station in the eastern
Slovak town of Velke Kapusan January 7, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
KIEV, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia has cut off all gas
supplies through Ukraine to Europe, Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz said
Wednesday.
"Russia's gas company Gazprom completely stopped
sending gas to European consumers on Wednesday morning," Naftogaz spokesman
Valentyn Zemlyanski told a news conference.
"Russia has left Europe without gas. There is zero
transit," he added.
Russia confirmed the cutoff, but
said it was Ukraine's fault. Gazprom accused Ukraine of diverting the gas
supplies to Europe.
A gauge shows the zero gas pressure in
the pipelines at the border delivery station in the eastern Slovak town of
Velke Kapusan January 7, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Gas supplies to some countries in Europe, such as
Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania were reportedly halted by the
escalating price dispute between Moscow and Kiev.
Around a quarter of the gas used in the European
Union -- more than 40 percent of the bloc's imports -- comes from Russia.
Ukraine sits on the main transit route for Russia's
gas exports, accounting for 80 percent of the continent's gas supply from
Russia. Other smaller pipelines run through Belarus and Turkey.
In 2006, a dispute over gas prices between Kiev and
Moscow sent jitters among European customers after Gazprom cut all gas supplies
to Ukraine.
Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom's
headquarters is seen in Moscow, Jan. 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- A gas dispute between Russia
and Ukraine worsened Tuesday after Russian energy giant Gazprom slashed gas
supplies to countries in Europe, which gets about a fifth of its needs via
pipelines through Ukraine.
Gazprom has cut gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine to
around two-thirds of its normal flow, which would disrupt supplies to Europe,
said Valentin Zemlyanski, a spokesman of Ukraine's state gas company
Naftogaz. Full story
BELGRADE, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Russian gas disruption
brought about by its dispute with Ukraine has spread to four former Yugoslav
countries Tuesday, sending them into worries amid freezing cold weather.
Serbia, who should be celebrating the Orthodox
Christmas Eve on Tuesday, was completely cut off from Russia's gas supplies via
Ukraine and Hungary, the official Tanjug news agency reported. Full story
SOFIA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy
and Economy said on Tuesday that Russian gas supplies to the Balkans halted
early in the day.
The ministry said that as of 3:30 a.m. local time
(0130 GMT), Russian gas supplies to Bulgaria as well as the transit to Greece,
Turkey and Macedonia had been suspended. Full story
ANKARA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Energy and Natural
Resources Minister Hilmi Guler confirmed on Tuesday that the flow of natural gas
from the western line of Russia to Turkey completely stopped, the semi-official
Anatolia news agency reported.
"The amount of natural gas, which flows from western line
of Russia, dropped first to 32 million cubic meters and then to 17 million cubic
meters. Currently, the natural gas inflow through Ukraine has completely
stopped," the report quoted Guler, adding that the ministry had already taken
necessary measures. Full story
