"We have not stopped anything. The company is exporting petroleum to Ukraine just as before," says a Tatneft spokesman.
Similar reassurances have come from TNK-BP. "True, our exports have somewhat shrunken, what with our Ukrainian-based petroleum processing works under repairs, but supplies are on, at any rate," pointed out its press service.
"We have not cut our exports to Ukraine in the slightest," a LUKoil spokesman joined in.
The statements came after Premier Timoshenko said to the media today that "Russia is ostentatiously cutting oil exports to Ukraine, even though all contracts have been prepaid."
Russia is forcing Ukraine's government to recur to unconventional action after oil pumping stopped altogether for five days despite all related understandings ready, complained the Premier.
According to her, the Ukrainian government is to do everything necessary to stabilize the petroleum product market.
