Gazprom halts European fuel as energy war escalates
Moscow ‘weaponising’ gas as Russian provider claims forces outside of its control mean it cannot fulfil supply
GAZPROM has declared “force majeure” on gas supplies to Europe, heightening fears of a complete cut-off that could trigger energy shortages across the Continent this winter.
Russia’s state-controlled energy giant wrote in a letter to at least one European customer that it can no longer fulfil its supply obligations because of “extraordinary” circumstances outside its control.
The Kremlin, hit by western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, has sought to curtail gas supplies to Europe as leverage to pressure governments into relaxing the punitive measures.
Panicked EU governments are already preparing for the possibility of a “winter of discontent” without their usual supplies of Russian fossil fuels to heat homes and keep factories open.
It came as Russia’s defence minister ordered its forces to prioritise strikes on precision weapons that have crippled efforts to restart its stalled offensive in the Donbas. On a visit to Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartlands, Sergei Shoigu told soldiers to focus on the “destruction” of US mobile rocket launchers, which have been credited for hits on more than a dozen Russian ammunition depots deep behind their lines.
Away from the battlefield, European governments accused Moscow of “weaponising” gas supply to further exacerbate the Continent’s cost of living crisis in retaliation for western sanctions over the war.
EU diplomats believe the Kremlin is trying to deploy a “divide and rule” tactic to pick off individual member states struggling with ever-increasing gas prices, which the Kremlin argues are a result of western sanctions.
Last week, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, operated by Gazprom, was shut down for 10 days for maintenance, prompting fears that Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, could simply order the taps to be turned off. According to an internal EU analysis, seen by The Daily Telegraph, the pipeline is expected to come “back online in a reduced capacity to keep gas prices for the EU as high as possible”.
Sources said the letter sent by Gazprom relates to Nord Stream 1, which has not run at full capacity since the middle of June, after a turbine being refurbished in Canada was blocked from leaving due to sanctions on Russia.
The memo said the “force majeure” clause, a measure invoked when a business is hit by something out of its control, was effective from deliveries starting from June 14.
“Force majeure” refers to unexpected external events, such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters, that prevent a company from meeting its obligations to a contract.
Ottawa has since agreed to send the turbine to Germany amid fears that Berlin could be crippled without Russian gas supplies this winter.
But this has prompted fears that other European governments could consider flouting Western sanctions in order to protect their economies.
In a warning to wavering European capitals, Josep Borrell, the EU’S top diplomat, yesterday said: “You cannot put this on the same level of the losses of human lives or the destruction of Ukraine… with the European economy facing challenges on the energy side.”
For the first time, Mr Putin yesterday acknowledged Western sanctions were having a “colossal” impact on Russia’s high-tech sector.
He said the measures presented a “huge challenge for our country” and vowed to “look for new solutions in an energetic and competent manner”.
Russia also warned India that it would expect payments in United Arab Emirates dirhams for future oil exports to guard against the effects of western sanctions.
The Kremlin was faced with more battlefield woes in its attempt to restart the stalled offensive in the Donbas region of Ukraine. Footage shared on social media showed a huge explosion above the small town of Nova Kakhovka, which Ukrainians sources said was a hit on a Russian munitions dump.