Ukraine closes airspace to Russian planes

KIEV, Ukraine

Ukraine has banned Russian planes from its airspace, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday.

"The Ukrainian government has decided to ban all transit flights for all Russian airlines in Ukraine’s airspace," he told a televised government meeting in Kiev.

Russian aircraft were banned from Ukrainian airports last month but had been allowed to fly over its territory.

Yatsenyuk also said the government had decided to stop buying natural gas from Russia, dismissing an earlier statement from Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller that the gas giant had halted deliveries over payment.

"They have it wrong," he said. "It is not that they are not sending us gas. We are the ones who are not buying from them." Yatsenyuk claimed Ukraine could buy cheaper gas from Europe and had reduced consumption by 20 percent.

Tensions have been high between the two former Soviet republics since Russia annexed Crimea last year and a pro-Russian separatist conflict began in eastern Ukraine.

KIEV, Ukraine

Ukraine has banned Russian planes from its airspace, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday.

"The Ukrainian government has decided to ban all transit flights for all Russian airlines in Ukraine’s airspace," he told a televised government meeting in Kiev.

Russian aircraft were banned from Ukrainian airports last month but had been allowed to fly over its territory.

Tensions have been high between the two former Soviet republics since Russia annexed Crimea last year and a pro-Russian separatist conflict began in eastern Ukraine.