The announcement comes at the same time as Austria, which has long been dependent on Russian gas, has announced that the country can now manage without Russian gas deliveries.
European media have reported that although the country until recently bought 80 percent of its fossil gas from Russia, Austria has secured enough reserves and other suppliers to cope with the coming winter regardless of the Russian flow.
"Russia is once again using energy as a weapon. Austria has prepared for this situation for a long time," writes the country's Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler on X, and assures that the domestic gas storage facilities are full and can cover more than a year's consumption.
The Ukraine war has meant that the EU has tried to cut its energy ties with Russia, but still a lot of fossil fuels are being imported.
