Russia to cut gas through pipeline to 20% of capacity

BERLIN (AP) — Russian energy giant Gazprom said, Monday, that it would further reduce natural gas flows through a major pipeline to Europe to 20% of capacity, citing equipment repairs. The move ramps up fears that Russia may cut off gas as political leverage over the war in Ukraine just as Europe tries to shore up storage for winter.

The Russian state-owned company tweeted that it would reduce “the daily throughput” of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany to 33 million cubic meters as of Wednesday, saying it was shutting down a turbine for repairs. The head of Germany’s network regulator, Klaus Mueller, confirmed that the flow was expected to be cut in half.

Deliveries were at 40% of capacity after Nord Stream 1 reopened, last week, following 10 days of scheduled maintenance. The German government said it rejected the notion that technical reasons would lead to further gas reductions.

Russian President Vladimir “Putin is playing a perfidious game,” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck told news agency dpa. “He is trying to weaken the great support for Ukraine and drive a wedge into our society. To do this, he stirs up uncertainty and drives up prices. We are countering this with unity and concentrated action.”

Natural gas is used to keep industry humming, generate electricity and heat homes in the winter, and concerns are rising about a possible recession if Europe does not save enough gas and rationing is required to get through the cold months. Energy prices have been soaring for months — spiking again after Gazprom’s announcement — fueling inflation that is squeezing people’s spending power.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia’s cuts in gas deliveries “a form of terror.”