Putin has cut gas supplies to Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline just days after restarting flows, marking an escalation of the continent’s energy crisis.
Gazprom will cut flows through the link to about 20pc of its capacity from 7am Moscow time on Wednesday.
Flows restarted through the pipeline last week at about 40pc of capacity following 10 days of planned maintenance work. They’ve been at roughly that level since Russia first cut supplies last month.
It follows a warning from the Kremlin that supplies could fall further if a spat over equipment isn’t resolved.
A turbine that was trapped in Canada due to sanctions has still not been returned, while Gazprom said another turbine is due for maintenance and will be taken out of service.
The move threatens to plunge Europe even further into an energy crisis and will fuel concerns about rationing and blackouts this winter.
Benchmark European gas prices rose as much as 10pc following the announcement