MOSCOW, May 12 (UPI) -- A gas payment row between Russian energy company Gazprom and Ukraine exposes regional consumers to increased risks, Russia's deputy energy minister said.
Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovski said Russia could send more natural gas through pipelines that avoid geopolitically sensitive territory in Ukraine, like the Nord Stream pipeline through the Baltic Sea. Some Gazprom customers, he said, have few other options, however.