(Adds details about Slovakia in paras 4, 5)
MOSCOW, January 20 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's gas transit system started receiving Russian gas for Europe at 07:24 GMT on Tuesday, a Gazprom spokesman reported from Russia's Sudzha gas exit point.
Following Sunday's talks between the two country's premiers, Russian energy giant Gazprom and Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz signed on Monday a contract on Russian gas supplies to Ukraine for 2009-2019.
"They [Ukrainians] are ready to open the taps for gas transits to Europe. On our side, the pipe has been under pressure since January 13, when Gazprom was ready to start gas supplies to European consumers," Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said at a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Around two hours after Russian gas began to enter Ukrainian pipelines, supplies to Slovakia resumed, a source at the Velke Kapusany gas entry point said.
"Slovakia is reporting an increase in the pipeline pressure. Gas has started to arrive," the source said.