Gazprom Resumed Gas Supplies To Europe

Gazprom spokesman Boris Sapozhnikov said the gas flow was restarted at around 07:30 GMT on Tuesday.

The full pressure in the pipeline system would be reached by 12:00 GMT.

EU-led monitors would track the flow of the gas being pumped into Ukraine.

Ukrainian gas officials confirmed that they were receiving gas. Once pressure in Ukrainian pipes was high enough, "we will be able to resume transit" to Europe, a spokeswoman for pipeline operator Ukrtransgaz told the AFP news agency.

Officials said the it could take up to 36 hours to pump gas across Ukraine, before it starts reaching customers further down the pipeline.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko earlier held talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow after the two countries' gas companies, Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz, succeeded in hammering out the final details.

Under the deal they outlined, Ukraine will start paying for Russian gas at "European" rates from 2010 while equally charging Russia "market" rates for transit.

Author: Ksenia Kochneva