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Russia claims Ukraine closes gas taps
Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom today blamed Ukraine for closing down the last export pipeline to Europe via Ukraine that was still functioning.
"Today Ukraine has closed the last of four pipelines to Europe," a Gazprom executive said. Earlier, Ukraine's state energy company, Naftogaz, said Russia had closed the pipeline down.
Gas supplies through the main import and transit pipeline from Russia to the Czech Republic and Western Europe stopped completely overnight, the Czech and Slovak gas companies said today.
Importers in the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland and Croatia all confirmed the shutdown of import and transit pipelines feeding the countries, while Romanian , Economy Minister Adriean Videanu confirmed flows to the country were also halted.
"The main pipeline from the east was closed from midnight. Supplies are at zero for Slovakia and the Czech Republic," a spokesman for Czech importer RWE Transgas said.
RWE said it was making up for the shortage by tapping reserves and was raising alternative supplies through a separate pipeline bringing mainly Norwegian gas.
Austrian importer OMV said Russian gas flows to Austria also stopped completely today, adding it was drawing on reserves, domestic production and other imports to guarantee gas supply to customers.
"Following the massive reductions to natural gas deliveries to Austria ... currently no more Russian natural gas is being delivered to Austria," OMV said in a statement.
"Unfortunately this thing has happened," Videanu told private television station Realitatea TV. "There are no deliveries through the Mediesu Aurit gas import station."
"But we are prepared ... we will overcome this winter with no problems."
Romania has around 2.2 billion cubic metres of natural gas stored in underground deposits. The country draws around 26 million cubic metres a day from them.
However, Ioan Rusu, head of the state-controlled gas pipeline operator Transgaz, said underground reserves were expected to be depleted within 60-80 days if used on a daily basis.
Hungary has limited the natural gas consumption by industrial users after gas shipments via Ukraine stopped, gas transmission company Foldgazszallito Zrt said today.
Consumption by the biggest users was limited late yesterday and restrictions were extended to a wider circle of industrial consumers at 0700 GMT today, the company said in a statement.
Hungary expects to use 64 million cubic metres of natural gas today, tapping its reserves, down from 68 million cubic metres yesterday, the company added.
Bulgaria has cut supplies to industrial customers and other countries said they would be forced to reduce deliveries if the crisis lasted, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Italy's Eni reported that beginning 0100 today it had recorded a substantial interruption of gas supply coming from the TAG pipeline.
A ministry spokesman told Reuters that Italy had started tapping stockpiles.
"We're (also) increasing provisions from other suppliers," he said.
Europe faces a deepening energy crunch and more sub-zero temperatures today, with Moscow and Kiev showing little sign of a swift resolution of the pricing dispute that has slashed Russian gas supplies to the West.
Russia accused its former Soviet neighbour of stealing about 15% the gas it ships across Ukraine to European states.
The EU, which takes a quarter of its gas from Russia, called on Russia and Ukraine to settle their dispute and resume normal deliveries immediately.