KIEV, Jan. 28 - A pre-trial investigation has estimated the cost of state controlled assets allegedly misappropriated by former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko and another three former ministry officials at more than UAH 970,000.

DAVOS, Jan. 28 – Shell oil will soon start work on the production of shale gas in Ukraine, President Viktor Yanukovych said.

"I praise your decision to finally start the production of shale gas in Ukraine," the Ukrainian president said at a meeting with Shell CEO Peter Voser in Davos on Friday.

KIEV, Jan. 28 – Heat supplies have been cut off in some regions of Ukraine, because the state needs money for the national gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy to return 12.1 billion cubic meters of gas to the Swiss-registered gas trader RosUkrEnergo AG, according to leader of the Batkivschyna All-Ukrainian Union and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

KIEV, Jan. 30 – A television journalist was hospitalized with a brain concussion and multiple injuries on Friday in Poltava following an apparently four-hour detention, assault and interrogation by police, a news agency reported Sunday.

KIEV, Jan. 28 - Naftogaz Ukrayiny CEO Oleh Dubyna has denied reports that President Viktor Yushchenko and his family are involved in gas supply schemes.

BRUSSELS, Jan. 30 - European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner said she is satisfied with Ukrainian-EU relations and intended to come to Kiev to participate in the discussion of energy issues.

KIEV, Jan. 30 – Turkmenistan, which Ukraine hopes to become an alternative to Russia source of natural gas, on Wednesday issued a statement questioning the future of a gas pipeline suggested by Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

KIEV, Jan. 30 – Relations between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko came under strain again Wednesday following controversial remarks by Tymoshenko claiming her group may start cooperating with the Regions Party, the opposition group.

KIEV, Jan. 30 ??“ Ukraine asked Russia to reverse the last year??™s natural gas deal seeking to return to the original arrangement when Gazprom had paid for gas transit via supplies of gas, not cash.

KIEV, Jan. 30 ??“ Pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said Tuesday that he was ???concerned??? with U.S. plans to build two anti-missile defense radars in Poland and in the Czech Republic.