MOSCOW, October 29 (RAPSI) – Rosneft, Russian oil giant targeted by Western sactions, considers suing Kommersant business daily over the alleged counter-sanctions package proposed by the company, reads the statement published on its website on Wednesday.

Kommersant newspaper reported earlier the day that Rosneft had proposed a package of retaliatory measures to Western sanctions which allegedly included a ban on the repayment of oil and gas companies’ loans to European and US banks without the approval of the Bank of Russia; the possible seizure of property belonging to the United States, the EU and their citizens in Russia as an interim measure to ensure the fulfilment of contracts; a moratorium on the retrieval of the oil and gas equipment delivered to Russia, the use of which is prohibited in Russian projects by sanctions.

Rosneft advocates for a 100% prepayment for gas deliveries to the EU; suspension of Gazprom’s South Stream project; blocking access to Gazprom’s pipeline for independent gas producers in East Siberia and the Russian far East; restrictions on the cooperative use of Russian-made modules for the International Space Station; a ban on the storage of radioactive waste from the EU and the United States, according to Kommersant.

Rosneft denies the allegations and claims damage to its business reputation.

The publication is deemed to be a deliberate attempt to provoke another batch of sanctions against Russian business,the statement of the company reads.

Earlier this year Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin sued Vedomosti daily over an editorial about his alleged influence on Russian economy and  state officials. A Moscow court granted the lawsuit in August and ordered Vedomosti retract the controversial statements.