A senior European Union official said on Thursday that the EU cannot accept that payments in euros to Russia for gas are considered completed by Moscow only after they are converted into roubles.

"What we cannot accept is that companies are obliged to open a second account and that between the first and second account, the amount in euros is in the full hands of the Russian authorities and the Russian Central Bank, and that the payment is only complete when it is converted into roubles," the official said, noting that could be considered a loan to the Russian central bank.

"This is absolutely clear circumvention of the sanctions."

(Reporting by Kate Abnett and John Chalmers, writing by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio)