The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that it has postponed planned economic consultations with Russia that were due to start this week to gather more data and analysis to ensure "a rigorous consultation".

The IMF ’s leadership scrapped plans to begin a review of the Russian economy this week ahead of a trip to Moscow later this month because the mission was “technically not ready”, Alexsei Mozhin, the IMF’s executive director for Russia,

The International Monetary Fund has postponed the resumption of consultations with the Russian government following objections from European countries, which argued that cooperation with an aggressor would play into the hands of Kremlin propaganda.

Russia targeted Ukrainian energy facilities and struck civilian infrastructure in overnight attacks, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday, and a U.N. monitoring body said Moscow's strikes on the power grid probably violated humanitarian law.

Russia targeted Ukrainian energy facilities and struck civilian infrastructure in overnight attacks, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday, and a UN monitoring body claimed Moscow's strikes on the power grid probably violated humanitarian law.