The FINANCIAL -- According to RIA Novosti, an outbreak of flu in Ukraine has claimed 109 lives, an emergencies ministry spokesman said on November 6.

"According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, 109 people have died from flu in the country," he said.

The Ukrainian government imposed quarantines in nine western provinces in late October in an attempt to curb the spread of flu. All education establishments in Kiev were closed, and people were obliged to wear medical masks in all catering establishments, shops and social services facilities across the former Soviet republic.

The Unian news agency said a team of European medical experts would begin a study of the epidemic in Ukraine on November 6.

The team, consisting of five experts from Austria, France, Germany, Latvia and Sweden, will help coordinate efforts aimed at fighting the epidemic across the country, Unian said, quoting European Commission representatives in Ukraine .

President Viktor Yushchenko earlier requested help from other countries over the outbreak of flu.

The Ukrainian health ministry said on November 2 255,000 flu cases had been registered in the country, with some 15,000 people receiving treatment in hospital.

On November 5, the health ministry's deputy head said 15 people in Ukraine had been confirmed as suffering from swine flu. He did not elaborate on the number of deaths from swine flu. However, Ukrainian media reports say three people have died.

The Ukrainian parliament has approved the allocation of 1 billion hryvnias ($125 million) on measures to fight swine and seasonal flu.

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