Minister assures Poland's energy supplies are safe as Russia cuts gas deliveries

Poland's Climate Minister Anna Moskwa said there was no need to draw gas from reserves and that gas to Polish customers won't be cut.

"We are ready for being completely cut off from Russian hydrocarbons and oil," she added.

Moskwa also said thatPolish gas storage was 76% full.

Flows from other directions will replace Gazprom's supplies, Poland's Minister in Charge of Energy Security Piotr Naimski said, adding that the Yamal contract was meant to end in December anyways.

Gazprom informed Poland's PGNiG it will halt gas supplies along the Yamal pipeline at 0800 CET on Wednesday, PGNiG said in a statement published on Tuesday.

PGNiG said on Tuesday it would take steps to reinstate the flow of gas according to the Yamal contract and that any halt of supplies was a breach of that contract. It said it has the right to pursue damages over the breach of contract.

Earlier, data from the European Union network of gas transmission operators showed physical gas flows via the Yamal-Europe pipeline from Belarus to Poland had halted, but they resumed later on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that countries he terms "unfriendly" following his invasion of Ukraine agree to implement a scheme under which they would open accounts at Gazprombank and make payments for Russian gas imports in euros or dollars that would be converted into roubles. Gazprom said on Tuesday that Poland would need to begin making payments under a new scheme as of Tuesday. It did not elaborate and did not comment on PGNiG's statement about the possible gas supply stoppage. Poland, whose gas deal with Russia expires at the end of this year, has repeatedly said it would not comply with the new scheme of gas payments. It has also said it would not extend the contract.

Earlier Tuesday, Poland announced a list of 50 Russian oligarchs and companies, including Gazprom, that would be subject to sanctions under a law passed earlier this month allowing their assets to be frozen. The law is separate from sanctions imposed jointly by EU countries.