From Wednesday morning
Russia halts gas supplies to Poland through Yamal pipeline
According to the Polish gas company PGNiG, Russia is suspending its natural gas supplies through the Yamal pipeline to neighboring Poland.
Russia plans to halt natural gas supplies to Poland on Wednesday morning. This was announced by the Polish energy company PGNiG on Tuesday evening. The Russian gas company Gazprom informed the company about the move. Several Polish media had also reported.
The reason is Poland’s refusal to pay for its gas imports in rubles, as demanded by the Kremlin. However, Russia’s move may also be a reaction to new sanctions imposed by Poland. The government in Warsaw recently imposed further punitive measures against Russian individuals and companies, including energy companies.
Poland sees itself prepared for a gas supply stop from Russia
It is still unclear what effects the gas supply stop will have. According to the government, Poland has prepared for a delivery failure. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the stores were full and the economy was not at risk. According to the think tank Forum Energii, the country covers around 46 percent of its gas needs with imports from Russia. Missing deliveries could also be compensated for by supply via the European gas network.
It is unlikely that the delivery stop will have a short-term impact on the gas supply in Germany. According to the DPA news agency, Russian gas usually does not flow to Germany via the Yamal pipeline. It runs more than 4000 kilometers from Siberia via Belarus to Poland. On the German side of the border, the Yamal pipeline is connected to the German natural gas network.
More on this shortly at this point.
Sources: PGNiG, Forum Energiinews agencies DPA and AFP