KYIV -- Ukraine opposes Canada's handing over a turbine to Russia's Gazprom that Moscow says is critical for supplying natural gas to Germany and Kyiv believes such a move would flout sanctions on Russia, a Ukrainian energy ministry source said on Thursday.

A senior energy ministry source told Reuters that Kyiv opposed the move and that its energy minister had lobbied Canada in June not to hand over the turbine being serviced by Germany's Siemens Energy ENR1n.DE, SIEGn.DE in Canada.

"The sanctions forbid the transfer of any equipment related to gas," the energy ministry source said.

"If, God forbid, this decision is approved, we will undoubtedly appeal to our European colleagues that their approach must be reassesed. Because if countries do not follow decisions they have agreed about sanctions, how can we talk about solidarity?"

(Reporting by Sergiy Karazy and Max Hunder in KyivWriting by Tom Balmforth Editing by Matthew Lewis)