KYIV, Sept 20 – Ukraine’s Odesa Port-Side Plant, a major producer and exporter of fertilizers, shut down operation over the weekend in reaction to skyrocketing natural gas prices, First Deputy Director of the enterprise Mykola Schurikov reported.

This is the second shutdown of the company over the past three years. The company stayed idle between April 2018 and August 2019.

"The order refers to a letter from Odesagaz, in which the plant is proposed to suspend operations on September 22 due to the existing debt for the distribution of natural gas," Schurikov said.