NNA - Russia's Gazprom onSaturday halted gas exports to neighbouring Finland, the Finnish gas system operator said, the latest escalation of an energy payments dispute with Western nations.

“Gas imports through Imatra entry point have been stopped,” Gasgrid Finland said in a statement.

Imatra is the entry point for Russian gas into Finland.

Finnish state-owned gas wholesaler Gasum on Friday said Gazprom had warned that flows would be halted from 0400 GMT on Saturday morning.

Gazprom Export has demanded that European countries pay for Russian gas supplies in roubles because of sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but Finland refuses to do so. --- Reuters

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