Russia warned on Thursday that technical problems with the turbines of the German company Siemens could lead to the suspension of supply via the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

“Once all the turbines are sent to Canada for repair (the Nord Stream), it may have to be shut down. I believe it will be a disaster for Germany,” Russian Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Vladimir Chizhov said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.

Chizhov insisted that Siemens be asked about the need to ship the turbines to Canada.

“I don’t want to give advice, but after all this time they could have learned how to fix it,” he said.

Shortly before, the general manager of Gazprom, Alexei Miller, acknowledged that to date, there is no solution to the technical problems and because of that they had to cut the gas supply to Europe in the last few days.

Miller explained that Siemens only has one plant where to perform these technical engine overhauls and that is in Canada.

“Canada imposed sanctions and now Siemens cannot remove the turbines” to return them to Russia, he said.

Additionally, he revealed that due to these issues, they had to reduce compressor units at Portovaya stationin the Leningrad region.

Gazprom claimed problems with technical overhauls of Siemens turbines when it announced a 40% reduction in gas supply thanks to Nord Stream and, the following day, another 33%.

Germany assured to see a “political intention” in the reduction of Russian gas supply and a strategy of the Kremlin to increase prices, a criticism supported by the European Commission.

Nord Stream transports Russian gas to Germany across the Baltic Sea and was to be supplemented by Nord Stream 2, frozen by the German government in retaliation for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.