Russian Authorities Say Yukos Owes $4 Billion More in Taxes

Russia's Tax Ministry says the country's giant oil firm Yukos owes more than $4 billion dollars in back taxes for the year 2001.

The new assessment is in addition to $3.4 billion in back taxes for the year 2000 the company is struggling to pay.

Tax officials say Yukos traded oil through subsidiaries that were registered in regions of the country where taxes are low.

Yukos warned Thursday that it may have to halt production because of a Moscow court decision placing a freeze on some of its subsidiaries' accounts.

Former Yukos chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky is on trial on charges of tax fraud, which he calls retaliation for his support of the political opposition. The Kremlin denies this.

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