Kiev

Ukraine's state-owned energy utility Naftogaz does not agree on prepayment of gas it receives by Russia, the country's Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said.

Prodan added Kiev would insist to transfer instalments based on the delivered volumes.

The Ukrainian government has confirmed that thousands of Russian soldiers are withdrawing from the Russian territories bordering Ukraine.

Kiev has nevertheless warned Moscow is still allowing fighters to enter Ukraine and joint pro-Russian rebels who control parts of the Donbass region, the website Lenta.ru reports.

Up to twelve people could have died in the city of Donetsk in Ukraine's east since Saturday, according to various reports.

Donetsk's city council said in a statement on Sunday that four were killed and 11 left wounded after heavy fighting. A few hours later it announced the situation had deescalated.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Friday highlighted that Romania, as NATO member state, must have peaceful and good cooperation with all countries observing the international rules.

The Ukraine standoff claimed the life of a Red Cross aid worker for the first time after heavy shelling hear the organization's office in the city of Donetsk.

"One of our colleagues was killed when a shell hit close to our office. We're deeply distressed by the loss," the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wrote on Twitter.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Thursday that Romania will call for visa lifting for the Ukrainian citizens "as soon as possible".

Chamber of Deputies Chairman Valeriu Zgonea hopes the trilateral meeting of the prime ministers of Romania, Ukraine and Moldova sends 'a clear message of support in the perspective of restoring the balance in our region.'

EU states' foreign ministers have given the green light to an arrangement between Russia and the EU under which integration with Ukraine will be postponed for a year.

Russia and Ukraine are holding EU-brokered gas consultations in Berlin on Friday.

The meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian energy ministers Alexander Novak and Yuri Prodan and EU's outgoing energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger comes more than three months after Moscow cut off gas supplies to Kiev.

Russia and Ukraine should urgently resolve their gas price dispute, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said ahead of a new meeting between Kiev and Moscow.