Russia: Sanctions prevent it from maintaining gas pipeline to Turkiye, Balkans

Russia says that European sanctions block the energy transfer to Turkiye and Balkan region, Reuters reports.

According to the report, the Russian operator of a pipeline that supplies Turkiye and the Balkans with natural gas, South Stream Transport B.V, would suspend some maintenance and repair work, citing European Union sanctions, a move that threatens to deepen Europe’s energy crisis.

The South Stream Transport B.V. sent a note earlier this month to division managers informing them that Netherland’s import and export authority would be revoking its export license as of 17 September.

South Stream Transport is the Dutch-unit of the Kremlin-controlled natural gas giant, Gazprom, which manages the TurkStream pipeline running under the Black Sea from Russia to Turkiye and on to the Balkans and Central Europe.

The main pipeline between Turkiye and Russia, TurkStream, has the capacity to deliver 31.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas a year with half of it destined for Turkiye, and the other half for the Balkans and Central Europe.