Moscow - Russia on Monday said it will further cut gas to Ukraine by 65 million cubic metres per day, the amount Moscow says Kiev is stealing from European clients further downstream.

Gazprom cheif executive Alexei Miller proposed the measure while briefing Prime Minsiter Vladimir Putin on the standoff since the company shut off supplies to Ukraine on Janurary 1 over non-payments and a pricing dispute.

"Good, I agree. Let's begin the cuts from today," Putin was reported to have responded.

Budapest  - The Hungarian minister responsible for energy matters said on Monday that Ukraine had informed the Hungarian government of its intention to reduce gas flow to Hungary by almost a quarter.

Speaking to the press after meeting with the prime minister, Csaba Molnar said that Ukraine had informed Hungary of its intention to reduce the delivery of natural gas on Monday from 38 million to 30 million cubic metres per day.

Kiev - Ukraine has blocked transit shipment of Russian natural gas to Europe, escalating an acrimonious energy dispute dispute between the two countries and increasing the threat of a natural gas shortage in Europe, Ukrainian media reported Monday.

Executives from Ukrainian natural gas monopolist Naftogaz Ukrainy refused late Sunday evening to receive 15 million cubic metres of Russian natural gas per day in the Ukrainian gas pipeline network, citing absence of a contract to do so, Korrespondent magazine reported.

Prague  - The European Union Saturday threatened to bypass Russia and Ukraine for the bloc's gas needs if irregularities in Russian gas supplies via Ukraine persist in the future, Czech officials said.

Czech Vice-Premier for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra said the EU was ready to speed up work on Nord Stream and South Stream pipelines that would bring Russian gas to Europe without passing through Ukraine.

Moscow/Kiev/Prague  - Russian natural gas deliveries fell in downstream markets on Saturday, drawing a sharp European Union demand that the Kremlin and Ukraine end a row over energy.

The volumes of Russian natural gas pumped via Ukrainian pipelines to Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia were all were reportedly down, with Romania registering a 33 per cent cut in deliveries.

Moscow/Brussels/Kiev/Budapest/Prague - Russian natural gas deliveries fell substantially in downstream markets on Saturday, drawing a sharp European Union demand the Kremlin and Ukraine end a row over energy.

Russian natural gas volumes pumped via Ukrainian pipelines to Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania all were down, with Romania registering a 33 per cent cut in deliveries.

Russia on Thursday halted natural gas deliveries to Ukraine because of a delivery contract dispute. Fuel volumes moving onward to Europe fell marginally on Friday.