Russia Gazprom pushes back Ukraine gas cut deadline

MOSCOW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it had pushed back a deadline to reduce gas flows to Ukraine to 1500 GMT on Tuesday, as officials from both sides pursue talks on payment arrears.

RIA Novosti news agency quoted Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov as saying the deadline, initially set for 0700 GMT, had been pushed back by eight hours.

Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz said the talks which started earlier on Monday between Naftogaz head Oleh Dubyna and Gazprom chief excecutive Alexei Miller would resume on Tuesday.

"The talks are to continue on Tuesday," a Naftogaz spokesman told Reuters. (Reporting by Tanya Mosolova in Moscow and Pavel Polityuk in Kiev; Editing by Ron Popeski)