Russia Accuses Ukraine of Siphoning Gas for Europe
January 1, 2006
Text of report by Russian news agency RIA Novosti
Moscow, 1 January: On the basis of preliminary data, Gazprom has levelled the accusation against Ukraine that Kiev has started taking gas without authorization, the Gazprom chief’s press secretary, Sergey Kupriyanov, has told journalists.
“There are data that Ukraine has started taking Russian gas destined for European consumers,” he said.
Kupriyanov added that “precise data and the exact volumes that were stolen by Ukraine today will be ready on 2 January”.
[In its report of Kupriyanov's remarks, ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1516 gmt 01 Jan 06 quoted him as saying that Russian gas supplies to Ukraine "have been limited to volumes corresponding to our export contracts".]