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Ukraine closes airspace to all Russian planes

“Russian airlines and Russian planes no more have the right to use Ukranian airspace”, he said.

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Accusing Russian airlines of systematically violating flight rules, the ministry said the restrictions are aimed at “preventing any possible provocations” in the airspace of Ukraine.

Kiev on October 25 barred most Russian airlines from flying into Ukraine-a decision that prompted immediate reciprocal measures by Moscow-but allowed Russian airlines to cross its airspace to other destinations.

“They got it all wrong”.

For now Kyiv says it doesn’t need any more Russian gas and will guarantee the transit of piped Russian gas bound for Europe. Russia’s relations with Ukraine have soured since Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in March 2014, and now the two countries are fighting about gas supplies again.

Turkey relies on Gazprom for about half its natural gas supplies, paying the Russian gas monopoly as much as $10 billion a year ago.

In a declaration, Mr Miller stated that “deliveries have now been ceased in the Ukrainian organization before bill of fresh funds”.

Miller on Wednesday warned Ukraine and Europe of possible gas disruptions following the cut-off.

Russia’s state gas firm Gazprom confirmed Kiev had not pre-paid for future supplies, as required under their contract, and so gas flow was cut yesterday.

By the blowing up of power pylons, allegedly by protesting Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian nationalists, the power supply of the Crimea from the Ukraine was been capped on Saturday. “The refusal to buy Russian gas will create serious risks for the reliable transit of gas to Europe through Ukraine and for the supply of gas to Ukrainian consumers during the upcoming winter”. The decision would most directly affect flights from Russia to Moldova and the Balkans, Russian officials said.

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A shaky Ukrainian truce is being increasingly put to the test as Russian Federation steps up its air campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

'This is an issue of our country's national security &mdash a response to the Russian Federation and its aggressive actions' said Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. &mdash Creative Commons  File