Russia/Ukraine/EU

Gas supplies across EU reduced or stopped as dispute continues

Article published on the 2009-01-06 Latest update 2009-01-07 13:36 TU

Gazprom Deputy Chief Executive Alexander Medvedev at news conference in Paris.
(Photo: Reuters)

Gas supplies in a number of countries has been stopped or dramatically reduced as the dispute between Russia and the Ukraine continues. The EU has criticised both countries, calling it "completely unacceptable", while Russia says the EU should take action against Ukraine.

The supply of gas to Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia and Turkey stopped on Monday night as part of the ongoing dispute between Russia and the Ukraine.

Supplies to Bulgargaz were stopped at 0130 UT on Tuesday. It provides gas in Bulgaria and, via transit, for Greece, Turkey and Macedonia .

Bulgargaz were appealing to consumers to use alternatives to gas, if possible, and said it was introducing a system of rationing to ensure that essential equipment remained running.

It claimed that gas deliveries had been stopped without warning. Russia has blamed Ukraine for turning off the pipelines.

Bulgaria is almost completely dependent on Russian gas, with no gas resources of its own, and limited access to alternative transit routes.

Russia claimed that the Ukraine had shut off three out of four pipelines to Europe and continue to blame Naftogaz and Ukraine for the alleged theft of gas that, they say, was siphoned off the Russian supply.

"Deliveries of Russian gas to our partners in the European Union were reduced by a factor of seven," said Alexander Medvedev, Gazprom Vice President, on Tuesday.

In Croatia, supplies stopped completely at 0400 UT, according to the national gas operator, Plinacro.

Consumers were been asked to use gas sparingly, but the government said it hoped households would not be affected immediately.

In Romania, more than two thirds of Russian gas was cut early on Tuesday, although the national operator Transgaz said they were putting protective measures in place.

Gas to Hungary, which comes via Austria and Slovakia, also dropped to about 20 per cent of the usual amount in the early morning.

The Hungarian energy group MOL, said that Ukraine had restricted deliveries to western Europe via Slovakia.

The EU slammed the gas supply cuts and said it was in complete contradiction to reassurances given by top authorities in Russia and Ukraine.

“This situation is completely unacceptable,” according to a statement from the European Commission.