A gauge shows the zero gas pressure in the pipelines at the border delivery station in the eastern Slovak town of Velke Kapusan January 7, 2009.

KIEV, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia has cut off all gas supplies through Ukraine to Europe, Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz said Wednesday.

"Russia's gas company Gazprom completely stopped sending gas to European consumers on Wednesday morning," Naftogaz spokesman Valentyn Zemlyanski told a news conference.

"Russia has left Europe without gas. There is zero transit," he added.

Russia confirmed the cutoff, but said it was Ukraine's fault. Gazprom accused Ukraine of diverting the gas supplies to Europe.

Gas supplies to some countries in Europe, such as Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania were reportedly halted by the escalating price dispute between Moscow and Kiev.

Around a quarter of the gas used in the European Union -- more than 40 percent of the bloc's imports -- comes from Russia.

Ukraine sits on the main transit route for Russia's gas exports, accounting for 80 percent of the continent's gas supply from Russia. Other smaller pipelines run through Belarus and Turkey.

In 2006, a dispute over gas prices between Kiev and Moscow sent jitters among European customers after Gazprom cut all gas supplies to Ukraine.