Gas prices soar as Russia cuts German supply

Gas prices have soared after Russia further cut gas supplies to Germany and other central European countries after threatening to earlier this week,

European gas prices rose almost 2%, trading close to a record high after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Critics accuse the Russian government of using gas as a political weapon.

Russia has been cutting flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany, with it now operating at less than a fifth of its normal capacity.

Before the Ukraine War, Germany imported over half of its gas from Russia and most of it came through Nord Stream 1 - with the rest coming from land-based pipelines.

Russian energy firm Gazprom has sought to justify the latest cut by saying it was needed to allow maintenance work on a turbine.

The German government, however, said there was no technical reason for it to limit the supply.

Ukraine has accused Moscow of waging a "gas war" against Europe and cutting supplies to inflict "terror" on people.

Meanwhile, Poland has said it will be fully independent from Russian gas by the end of the year.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: "Even now, Russia is no longer able to blackmail us in the way it blackmails Germany for example."

READ MORE: BBC