He was asked for comment about the project after Germany's Siemens' said in a statement on Monday that at least two of its gas turbines had been moved "against its will" from Russia to Crimea - a region subject to sanctions barring EU firms providing it with energy technology.

Novak did not mention the German company by name but said: "The project will be implemented in any case."

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Istanbul, he added that the Crimea region needed the power plants and the first stations could be launched in the first quarter of 2018.

(Reporting by Olesya Astakhova; writing by Polina Devitt; editing by Susan Fenton)