Ukraine suspends Russian gas purchases

Russian gas purchases have been suspended by Ukraine after a breakdown in talks aimed at keeping supplies running for three to six months.
The Ukrainian state energy company, Naftogaz, said it would keep on transporting Russian gas supplies to other European customers.

It will be the second time in less than a year that Russian fuel supplies have stopped running to Ukraine.

Russian energy minister Alexander Novak called the decision “unfortunate”.

Moscow hiked prices after Kremlin-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February 2014.
It cut off gas supplies in June 2014 as the conflict between the government in Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in the east escalated.