Moldova's government may sue Russian state energy company Gazprom for sharply cutting natural gas supplies and is exploring its options, a senior Moldovan official said, according to Reuters.

The tiny ex-Soviet state depends on Russian natural gas supplied by Gazprom and is struggling with supply cuts of as much as 40%, hurting its ability to supply enough electricity to its population of 2.5 million.

"Lawyers are analyzing the possibility of applying sanctions for non-compliance with the contract regarding the supply of the entire volume of gas," Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Spinu told the PRO-TV television channel.

"Gazprom" begins test deliveries of gas from the "Kovikta" field to "Power of Siberia"

"When it becomes clear, we will decide what actions to take and in what direction to act," he added.

Moldova, which has condemned the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, has a contract with Gazprom that varies from month to month based on the spot market price of gas and oil, BNR notes.

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natural gas

Moldova