Update(11:42ET): And there it is – Reuters news wire is reporting that Russia halted natural gas supplies to Poland for Warsaw’s refusal to pay in Rubles, according to the prior contract, and following repeat warnings from President Putin:
POLAND’S RUSSIAN GAS FLOW HALTED DUE TO NON-PAYMENT IN RUBLES – LOCAL MEDIA SOURCES
* * *
There are emerging reports that Russia has halted natural gas deliveries to Poland, albeit it initially remains unconfirmed by the Russian government at this point.
Bloomberg is citing the prominent Polish news portal Onet.pl to report Tuesday late afternoon (local time):
“Russia has halted gas deliveries to Poland under the Yamal contract, Onet.pl website reports citing Polish government sources it didn’t name.”
Markets are reacting immediately on the reports with European gas prices exploding 17% higher on the news…
Additionally, Bloomberg reports that Onet says it has also confirmed the news at PGNiG, Poland’s dominant gas company.
Poland’s Climate Ministry has reportedly called an emergency meeting to discuss the issue.
The report out of Polish national news indicates that formal government announcements are to be made later in the day, likely within hours…
Russia has suspended gas supplies to Poland under the Yamal contract, Onet has learned unofficially. A crisis team has gathered at the Ministry of Climate. There is no announcement from Russia as to whether this is the fulfillment of the ultimatum that Vladimir Putin recently threatened. Official announcements on this matter are to be released today.
A month ago as Poland took steps to wind down all Russian oil imports by end of the year, other European countries also began warning their populations on the need to conserve natural gas usage amid potential severe supply shortages.
Reports: Russia has reportedly suspended natural gas supplies to Poland.
55% of Poland's gas imports come from Russia
Reports: Russians did not inform the Polish side about the reasons for the suspension of deliveries
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) April 26, 2022
Also potentially behind this reported halt in Russian gas is that on Monday for the first time Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed that his country has sent tanks to Ukraine.:
“Yes,” Morawiecki said when asked if Poland had or would send tanks to Ukraine. He declined to reveal any further details including the number of tanks sent.
This follows in March Warsaw attempting to send MiG-29 jets to Ramstein Air Base for the US to deliver them to Kiev – something which the Pentagon rejected as premature and high risk.
Poland is also hosting US troops, who are lately engaged in training Ukrainian forces on advanced weaponry like drones. If these fresh reports of a gas shutoff to Poland are confirmed, it appears that Moscow has had enough.