“All of the [gas pipelines’] valves were shut off and there is no gas coming from Ukraine. Last night, as far as I understand, this issue was handled by a special commission and a full block was instated [by Ukraine],” Purgin said in regard to the gas pipeline cutoff Wednesday night.
The eastern Ukrainian self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk people's republics (LPR and DPR) have enough gas supplies to last until Thursday evening after Kiev has cut off the delivery pipeline into the region, a source in the LPR's gas pipeline company said.
On Thursday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has instructed the country’s Energy Ministry and gas giant Gazprom to prepare proposals on delivering fuel to eastern Ukraine as humanitarian aid.
The temperature in the area has been hovering at around minus 5 degrees Celsius (25 degrees Fahrenheit).
On January 30, DPR said that Kiev had cut gas supplies to one of republic's districts, leaving nearly 30,000 people without heat. However, Ukrainian energy ministry said it did not have any information about it.
The standoff between the pro-independence militia and Kiev forces escalated in the first several weeks of the year. Following talks in Minsk held earlier in February, the sides agreed to cease fire and to pull back troops and heavy weaponry from the line of contact.
