Russia uses disinformation to maintain influence over Europe’s gas supply

After Ukraine decided to close the valves for Russian gas, Russia immediately identified the “culprits” behind the decision. According to Euvsdisinfo, Russia falsely claims that the responsibility for halting Russian gas supplies [to Europe] lies entirely with the US, the puppet Kyiv regime, and the authorities of European states that sacrificed the well-being of their own citizens.    

 

Author: Ana Anastasovska 

 

On the first day of 2025, Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas to Central Europe. Russian energy giant Gazprom announced that following Ukraine’s refusal to renew the transit agreement, there were neither legal nor technical means to continue pumping gas through the country’s pipelines. Gazprom confirmed that the contract, signed on December 30, 2019, expired at 6:00 Central European Time.  

According to the agreement, Russian gas was set to flow through Ukrainian pipelines to Central Europe. However, Kyiv chose to halt this flow in a strategic move to deprive Russia of additional revenues used to finance its aggressive war against Ukraine. This decision, explained Ukrainian Energy Minister Hermann Galushchenko, is firmly in Ukraine’s national interest. He described the gas shutdown as a “historic event.” 

The closure of Russia’s oldest gas route to Europe marks the end of a decade-long period of strained relations, which began with Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. The following year, Ukraine ceased purchasing Russian gas. The suspension of gas flow was expected following the onset of the war in February 2022, with Ukraine firmly refusing to renew the agreement. Gas transit through Ukraine has historically accounted for around half of Russia’s total pipeline gas exports to Europe.  

What does this mean for Europe? 

The expiration of the gas transit agreement has been anticipated for some time, allowing European countries to prepare accordingly. According to an analysis by The New York Times, it is not expected to significantly impact gas prices, as Europe has alternative supplies in place. 

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow reduced gas deliveries to Europe, leading to a surge in energy bills and prompting many governments to implement emergency packages to support businesses and citizens in need. In response, most European Union member states worked to reduce their reliance on Russian gas, seeking alternative supplies from countries like Azerbaijan and other sources.  

Even after the Russian invasion, three member states of the EU–Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia continued to buy large amounts of energy from Russia. 

The Austrian government announced that it had proactively prepared for the cessation of Russian gas shipments from Ukraine and secured alternative suppliers. OMV, the Austrian energy company stated that it had terminated its contracts with Gazprom and was “well positioned” with other sources of supply.  

Hungary, which has supported keeping the Ukrainian gas pipeline open, obtains most of the Russian gas through a separate TurkStream pipeline.  

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has threatened to suspend electricity supplies to Ukraine in retaliation if the country does not extend the gas transit agreement.  

Russia disinforms on who the culprit is  

After Ukraine decided to close the valves for Russian gas, Russia immediately identified the “culprits” behind the decision. According to Euvsdisinfo, Russia falsely claims that the responsibility for halting Russian gas supplies [to Europe] lies entirely with the US, the puppet Kyiv regime, and the authorities of European states that sacrificed the well-being of their own citizens.    

The responsibility for halting Russian gas supplies [to Europe] lies entirely with the US, the puppet Kyiv regime, and the authorities of European states that sacrificed the well-being of their own citizens. It was the Ukrainian authorities that chose to halt Russian gas supplies to European residents despite the fact that Gazprom was fulfilling its obligations under contracts, said Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. 

According to her, the interruption of deliveries of competitive and environmentally friendly Russian energy not only weakens Europe’s economic potential but also negatively impacts the living standards of European citizens. 

The geopolitical basis of Kyiv’s decision is what is visible, and the main benefit of the redistribution of the European energy market is the United States, she said.  

Such narratives are promoted in North Macedonia through the social network Facebook by supporters of Russia. 

Ukraine is a US project made to destroy European economies. After closing the oil transit to Europe, Kyiv is now actively trying to sabotage the TurkStream Pipeline by order of Washington, says one post. 

The stupidity of the EU!  

It may not buy gas directly from Russia, but it indirectly purchases it through the United States, multiple times, instead of purchasing it for a few percent more expensive.  

This impact is reflected in all prices, including those for food, heating, and industry.

The United States is demanding a complete termination of Russian gas delivery to Europe despite opposition from many countries, including Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria, said US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources at the Atlantic Council, another post said.  

There is no evidence suggesting that an external actor influenced Ukraine’s decision to halt Russian gas transport through its territory after the expiry of the previous transit agreement. The purpose of this decision is to reduce Russian income that continues to finance the Russian war against Ukraine. Closing this pipeline could reduce Russia’s revenue from gas states by $ 6.5 billion a year, by some estimates.   

By framing this step as intended to advance the interests of the US, this disinformation story aims to promote several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about European and Ukrainian alleged lack of sovereignty and submission to the US, writes Euvsdisinfo.  

 

Russian disinformation and its impact on the energy sector in the Visegrad Group countries 

Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy broadly targets the energy sector, a cornerstone of the Visegrad Group’s national security (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, countries that largely relied on Russian gas and oil imports), analyzes the Warsaw Institute. Key mechanisms include widespread disinformation campaigns across traditional and social media outlets, as well as cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure. Disinformation campaigns are often shaped to cast doubt on the effectiveness of Western-aligned energy projects, highlighting alleged inefficiencies or failures.  

In Poland, as the Institute said in the analysis, Russian disinformation has targeted key energy diversification projects, such as the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście and the Baltic Pipe. These narratives aimed to create public suspicion of Poland’s ability to successfully depart from Russian gas. Despite these efforts, Poland maintains strong public and political support for these projects, demonstrating resistance to such disinformation.  

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have also been the target of Russian narratives undermining the role of nuclear power in their energy strategy, according to the Warsaw Institute. Disinformation campaigns have criticized plans to expand nuclear capacity, highlighting exaggerated environmental risks and potential dependence on Western technologies. At the same time, pro-Russian media outlets promoted narratives pointing to the inevitability of Czech reliance on Russian gas.  

Hungary has faced a particularly aggressive disinformation campaign, with Russian narratives suggesting that EU sanctions against Russia have disproportionately damaged Hungary’s economy. These narratives aimed to incite anti-EU sentiment and portray energy diversification efforts as futile or harmful. 

Russian disinformation in the energy sector has targeted the Visegrad Group countries with tailored campaigns aimed at undermining energy diversification efforts and encouraging disunity, the analysis adds. Using disinformation and cyberattacks, Russia is trying to maintain its influence in the region despite its diminished role as a primary energy supplier. These efforts include promoting false narratives about the inefficiency of Western-backed energy projects, exaggerating the costs of transitioning to alternative energy sources, and sowing doubt about the reliability of new infrastructure such as LNG terminals and interconnectors.  

 

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