Ukraine was plunged into fresh political turmoil yesterday as its parliament sacked the pro-western government of Yuri Yekhanurov after he was accused of striking a poor deal to end the gas price dispute with Russia.

The no-confidence vote, backed by 250 of parliament's 450 members, came after it emerged that a five-year deal signed between Moscow and Kiev last week would force the Ukraine to pay much more for its gas imports.