Russia sues Ukraine over gas debt

MOSCOW, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Russian gas monopoly Gazprom filed a lawsuit at an international court in Stockholm to force Ukraine to settle a $2.4 billion gas debt, officials said.

The Ukrainian government had complained Moscow was seeking to collect for gas still held, and unused, in underground storage facilities. Moscow claims it is waiting for Kiev to pay its debt for gas consumptions from September.

Alexander Medvedev, the deputy chief of Gazprom, said his firm had filed suit at an international court in Stockholm to force Ukraine to settle its outstanding debt, the Russian daily newspaper Kommersant said Tuesday.

The decision to use legal pressure comes from a decision by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to consider court measures rather than supply cuts to force Kiev's hand in the matter.