KIEV, February 16 (RAPSI) - The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case regarding electricity supplies to the Republic of Crimea which broke away from Ukraine and joined Russia, TASS reported on Monday, citing Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.

Radical Party leader Oleh Lyashko reportedly announced earlier that President Petro Poroshenko instructed the Prosecutor General’s Office to look into the contracts for the supply of electricity.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk requested that the Minister of Energy and Coal Mining Industry, Vladimir Demchishin, provide an explanation of the contracts between Ukraine's Ukrinterenergo and Russia’s Inter RAO.

The contracts for the supply of electricity from Russia to Ukraine and from Ukraine to Crimea were signed late last year.

“The contracts were signed for one year in order to ensure a reliable power source for both our consumers in Crimea and our partners in Ukraine who also require electricity,” the agency quoted Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak as saying.