Russian food safety watchdog says bans certain alcohol imports from Ukraine

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's food safety watchdog said on Wednesday it is banning imports of certain types of alcohol from Ukraine, in a move that threatened to further escalate a crisis in relations between the two countries over a pro-Russian uprising in eastern Ukraine. "While conducting government supervision over the circulation of foodstuffs, on investigating vodka, beer and beer-related drinks there were identified repeated violations of legal requirements in the area of consumer rights," the agency said in a statement. Rospotrebnadzor, the watchdog whose role is to protect Russian consumers, said it will ban from Friday imports of Obolon beer, beer-related drinks produced by SUN InBev Ukraine and spirits made by the Ukrainian Distribution Company. (Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel and Alexander Winning; Editing by Jason Bush)