KIEV, Feb. 24 - Gazprom accusations that Ukraine is tapping unsanctioned gas require additional study and response by specialists, leader of the Party of Regions faction Oleksandr Yefremov said.

KIEV, Feb. 24 - Ukraine's president is hinting that new legislation being debated in Parliament may allow reconsideration of the case of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

KIEV, Feb. 24 - Ukraine will cut imports of Russian natural gas and tap alternative sources of energy while also seeking lower gas prices from Russia, President Viktor Yanukovych said Friday.

He said the alternative sources of energy will only make Ukraine’s position stronger at gas price negotiations with Russia.

KIEV, Feb. 25 - The Ukrainian ballistic missile early warning stations (BMEWS) in Mukacheve and Sevastopol are completing their alert mission for Russia as of Feb. 26 to begin operating as Ukrainian space control systems (SCS).

FRANKFURT, Feb. 26 - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has lowered its long-term and short-term counterparty credit ratings on Alfa-Bank Ukraine, JSC Kredobank, and Ukrsotsbank OJSC to 'CCC+/C' from 'B/B', the ratings agency said in a statement.

KIEV, Feb. 26 - Ukraine had a current account surplus of $500 million in January, tentative figures show, the acting head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Anatoly Shapovalov said at a briefing on Wednesday.

He said the first current account surplus in recent years was due to a steeper decline in imports than in exports.

KIEV, Feb. 26 - Naftogaz Ukrayiny, Ukraine’s national oil and gas company, has accumulated enough cash to make the next payment to Russia’s Gazprom for February natural gas supplies, a Naftogaz spokesman said Thursday.

KIEV, Feb. 26 – Ukraine will seek to reduce imports of natural gas from Russia this year as economic contraction and industrial production slump cut demand, a top aide to President Viktor Yushchenko said Thursday.

KIEV, Feb. 26 – Key political leaders will hold a meeting on Friday to try to agree on anti-crisis measures that would Ukraine to resume borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and avert default.

KIEV, Feb. 26 – President Viktor Yushchenko within weeks may obtain the right to dismiss Parliament unless the legislature moves fast to end its paralysis, Justice Minister Mykola Onyshchuk said Tuesday.