Russia says to supply coal, electricity to Ukraine

A man gestures as he stands near wagons loaded with coal at the Zlobino railway station in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, November 26, 2014. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia has agreed on a new deal to supply coal and electricity to Ukraine, which is struggling with a lack of raw fuel for power plants due to a separatist conflict in the industrial east, Russian officials said on Saturday.

The move comes a day after Kiev said it would suspend train and bus services to Crimea, effectively creating a transportation blockade to and from the region annexed by Moscow in March this year. Kiev has briefly cut off electricity to Crimea before.