MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian gas giant Gazprom continued to pump steady volumes of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Saturday, but supplies to Austrian energy company OMV were halted hours after Vienna said Russia had given notice it would cut off flows.

Russian gas producer Gazprom said it would send 42.4 million cubic metres of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Saturday, the same volume as on Friday, despite expectations of gas supplies cuts to Austria over a contractual dispute.

Austria will stick to its Ukraine policy despite Russia halting natural gas deliveries to the country starting from the weekend, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Friday. "We will not be blackmailed and will not be brought to our knees,