Volodymyr Demchyshyn

Kiev said July 7 that Russia had cut off electricity to Ukraine's rebel-run regions in what appears to be another sign that Moscow is losing interest in plans to splinter its neighbor.

Russia and Ukraine have signed a new temporary gas agreement. Over the next three months the latter will buy the fuel at a price of USD 248 per 1,000 cubic meters, marking a decrease from the previously agreed price of USD 329. The policy will be implemented in the second quarter of the current year and the subsequent negotiatiations will follow.

Ukraine's energy minister has said the country intends to stop buying Russian natural gas for the time being as of April 1 when Kiev's current supply deal with Moscow expires.

The EU said it hoped for a "positive outcome" in talks in Brussels on March 2 between the Russian and Ukrainian energy ministers aimed at resolving a gas supply dispute threatening deliveries to Europe.

Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom threatened last week to cut deliveries to Ukraine and divert supplies instead to eastern parts of the country controlled by pro-Kremlin rebels.

Russia has confirmed that it will attend talks with the European Union and Ukraine on March 2 aimed at resolving a bitter gas supply dispute which threatens deliveries to Europe.

Ukraine temporarily cut off power supplies to Crimea on Wednesday after the Russian-annexed peninsula failed to curb consumption as required due to a power crisis, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said.

An accident at Ukraine's Zaporizhye nuclear power plant has forced the shutdown of a reactor but posed no danger, government officials said on Wednesday.