Russia reduces gas exports, and Germany accuses it of trying to raise prices

The Russian energy giant, Gazprom, announced today, Wednesday, again reducing the maximum quantities of gas supplied to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, prompting the German government to accuse it of trying to raise prices.
The Russian state company indicated that the maximum amount, which it will pump through the line to Germany, will reach 67 million cubic meters only, as of early Thursday. The reduction announced today is 33%.
The company justified this step again by delaying the maintenance work by the German company Siemens, and Gazprom said that for this reason it had to shut down another gas compressor station.
In response to this second reduction in gas imports in two days, the German government accused, today, Wednesday, Gazprom of seeking to “raise gas prices”.
“It is clearly a price-raising strategy,” German Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement.
The minister said he believed that the recent reduction in Russian gas imports to Germany, which was announced yesterday and today, is politically motivated.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Gazprom announced the reduction of the maximum amount of gas supplied to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 line to 100 million cubic meters per day, which is equivalent to about 60% of the daily volume of gas that was planned to be supplied so far, which amounts to 167 million cubic meters per day. million cubic meters per day.
Shortly thereafter, Germany’s Federal Network Agency denied what Gazprom had said that delays in maintenance work on a gas compressor had reduced the quantities supplied.
Nord Stream 1 is the main supply line for Russian gas to Germany. Pumping through the Yamal-Europe pipeline has already stopped. It also significantly reduced the supply of Russian gas passing through Ukraine.
Energy prices have risen due to previous restrictions that have already led to a decline in Russian gas supplies to Europe.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, despite its completion, was not operational due to the Russian military operation in Ukraine.