Beginning the importation of electricity from Russia and neighboring countries will halt planned power cuts as early as this year, the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry said in a statement.

Talks to select power suppliers and to start cooperation with electricity importers to Ukraine are at the final stage, the ministry said.

"In addition to the search for alternative supplies of coal to Ukraine, we've opened opportunities for electricity import to Ukraine from neighboring countries – Moldova, Belarus, Russia, in order to make people’s lives normal again. We expect to cease rolling blackouts in coming days to let the light back into Ukrainian houses even during peak hours," the statement quotes minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn as saying.

The minister on December 24 announced that agreements to launch electricity imports from Russia to Ukraine are at the formalization stage. In his words, a delay in the launch is connected with the large number of companies involved in the approval process over beginning Russian electricity shipments to Ukraine.