Moscow - Russia's Gazprom said on Tuesday gas flows to Europe via Ukraine remained stable and that volumes had risen this year, proof that foreign clients still wanted Russian gas.
Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine on June 16 in a dispute over unpaid bills but has continued to supply gas which Ukraine sends on to Russia's clients in Europe.
Gazprom said exports via Ukraine stood at around 213.5 million cubic metres over the past 24 hours.
In a separate statement, the gas producer said it had increased exports to Europe to 82.88 billion cubic metres of gas in the first six months of the year, up 2.8% year-on-year.
"This clearly shows that foreign clients continue to choose Russian gas," CEO Alexei Miller was quoted as saying.