(BBC) Russian gas supplies to Germany via the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 have been halted for 10 days.
The pipeline’s Russian-backed operators say the move is because of annual maintenance work.
Last month, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Russian President Vladimir Putin was using gas “as a weapon” in response to EU sanctions.
In mid-June Russia’s state gas firm Gazprom cut gas flows through Nord Stream 1 to just 40% of the pipeline’s capacity. It blamed a delay in the return of equipment being serviced by Germany’s Siemens Energy.
The Canadian government says it will now return a repaired Siemens turbine to Germany for the pipeline. That move angered the Ukrainian government, which accused Canada of adjusting the sanctions imposed on Moscow “to the whims of Russia”.
Germany’s government is worried that gas supplies could be reduced or cut permanently.
The pipeline shutdown is also affecting Italy, where energy group Eni said it would receive about a third less gas from Russia’s Gazprom on Monday compared with average volumes supplied over the past few days.
The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, has warned that Russia may cut off gas supplies to Europe entirely and that Europe needs to prepare now.