Russia postpones restoration of gas flow to Europe, citing oil leakage in Nord Stream 1 pipeline

Gazprom postponed its September 3 deadline to restore flows via a crucial gas supply route to Europe, citing an oil leakage in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline it discovered during maintenance works.

The company shut down the pipeline on August 31 for what was supposed to be a three-day maintenance. However, it said in a social media post on September 2 that it identified “malfunctions” of a turbine.

Many interpreted this move as a geopolitical message to countries supporting Ukraine.

“Gas transmission via the Nord Stream pipeline has been fully shut down until the operational defects in the equipment are eliminated,” the company said in a statement, noticeably avoiding mention of when flows are expected to resume.

This move compounded Europe’s difficulties in securing enough fuel for the approaching cold winter months as Nord Stream 1 provides the much-needed gas supplies to Germany and much of other European nations.

European officials accuse Russia of using energy as weapon

European officials accused Russia of using energy as a weapon. In 2021, Russia supplied 40 percent of the European Union’s (EU) gas – but in recent weeks, the country reduced flow through Nord Stream 1 to only 20 percent capacity.

Michael Roth, chair of the German parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said cutting off supplies is part of Russia’s “psychological war” against other countries.

Markus Soeder, premier of the state of Bavaria, said they’re in a difficult position. “