"Finland was preparing for Russia to cut off electricity supplies early today due to its failure to pay the provider. Russian state-owned power firm Inter RAO will stop exports because it has not been paid for energy sold via the pan-European exchange Nord Pool since May 6. No reason was given for the non-payment.
It comes as Finland prepares for Moscow to cut gas supplies in retaliation for the country making moves to join Nato. Finnish subsidiary RAO Nordic said in a statement: 'This situation is exceptional and happened for the first time in over 20 years of our trading history.'
Electricity imports were to be halted from 1am local time (11pm BST yesterday) 'for the time being', Finnish grid operator Fingrid said in a statement. (Has been done, Ye Editor)
It comes as Russia accused Finland of 'pushing above its weight' as the country signalled its intention to join NATO. Pictured, soldiers of NATO and allied countries during an international military exercise in Poland today
Fingrid added that there was no threat to supplies and power from Russia made up 10 per cent of Finland's consumption. The operator said: 'Missing imports can be replaced in the electricity market by importing more electricity from Sweden and also by domestic production.'
Asked whether payments had been required to be made in Russian roubles, a spokesman said: 'We have never had settlements in roubles, only in euros, Norwegian crowns, Swedish crowns and Danish crowns.'
The Kremlin said Finland's push for Nato membership would 'definitely' be seen as a threat by Russia. The Russian foreign ministry said Moscow would be 'forced to take reciprocal steps, military-technical and other, to address the resulting threats'.
Ministers are planning for potential shutdowns and food shortages. Finland imports most of its gas from Russia but gas accounts for just 5 per cent of the country's annual energy consumption.
Putin's EU ambassador vowed to bolster defences on the Russia and Finland's shared 800-mile-long border if it decided to join the alliance.
On Thursday, a former British ambassador to Russia ... Sir Tony Brenton told BBC's Newsnight programme the Kremlin may think 'it expands their view of NATO as a threat to them'.
... On Friday, Finland announced it intends to start the formal application process to join the military pact, more than doubling NATO's presence on Russia's borders from 754 miles to 1,584 miles.
... Meanwhile Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is not in favour of Sweden and Finland joining NATO, threatening to derail their membership bids. Erdogan said the countries are 'guesthouses for terrorist organisations' such as the Kurdish PKK and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a cleric accused of leading a coup against him in 2016, and added: 'We cannot be positive towards this.'
... Erdogan's remarks come just a day after Finland's prime minister and president said it is in the country's interests to join NATO, and they intend to submit a membership application within 'days'.
Sweden, meanwhile, has published a technical paper on joining the alliance which warned that Russia could retaliate if it joins - but that membership would help prevent an armed attack.
Magdalena Andersson, the Swedish Prime Minister, will review the document over the weekend and announce her intention on Sunday. It is widely expected that she will announce her own intention to join.
But NATO is a 30-nation alliance, all of whom must vote unanimously in order for a new member to be accepted - meaning Erdogan's opposition is significant.
... Finland and Sweden are already NATO's closest partners, sitting in on many meetings and taking part in joint military exercises. ... However, they cannot benefit from NATO's collective defence clause - that an attack on one ally is an attack on all - until they join the alliance.
Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, both had been locked into decades-old pledges of neutrality in return for promises from the Kremlin that it would not attack.
... Moscow has also threatened to cut off Finnish gas supplies, which could cripple the economy - though would also hurt Russia financially."
It comes as Russia accused Finland of 'pushing above its weight' as the country signalled its intention to join NATO. Pictured, soldiers of NATO and allied countries during an international military exercise in Poland today
Fingrid added that there was no threat to supplies and power from Russia made up 10 per cent of Finland's consumption. The operator said: 'Missing imports can be replaced in the electricity market by importing more electricity from Sweden and also by domestic production.'
Asked whether payments had been required to be made in Russian roubles, a spokesman said: 'We have never had settlements in roubles, only in euros, Norwegian crowns, Swedish crowns and Danish crowns.'
The Kremlin said Finland's push for Nato membership would 'definitely' be seen as a threat by Russia. The Russian foreign ministry said Moscow would be 'forced to take reciprocal steps, military-technical and other, to address the resulting threats'.
Ministers are planning for potential shutdowns and food shortages. Finland imports most of its gas from Russia but gas accounts for just 5 per cent of the country's annual energy consumption.
Putin's EU ambassador vowed to bolster defences on the Russia and Finland's shared 800-mile-long border if it decided to join the alliance.
On Thursday, a former British ambassador to Russia ... Sir Tony Brenton told BBC's Newsnight programme the Kremlin may think 'it expands their view of NATO as a threat to them'.
... On Friday, Finland announced it intends to start the formal application process to join the military pact, more than doubling NATO's presence on Russia's borders from 754 miles to 1,584 miles.
... Meanwhile Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is not in favour of Sweden and Finland joining NATO, threatening to derail their membership bids. Erdogan said the countries are 'guesthouses for terrorist organisations' such as the Kurdish PKK and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a cleric accused of leading a coup against him in 2016, and added: 'We cannot be positive towards this.'
... Erdogan's remarks come just a day after Finland's prime minister and president said it is in the country's interests to join NATO, and they intend to submit a membership application within 'days'.
Sweden, meanwhile, has published a technical paper on joining the alliance which warned that Russia could retaliate if it joins - but that membership would help prevent an armed attack.
Magdalena Andersson, the Swedish Prime Minister, will review the document over the weekend and announce her intention on Sunday. It is widely expected that she will announce her own intention to join.
But NATO is a 30-nation alliance, all of whom must vote unanimously in order for a new member to be accepted - meaning Erdogan's opposition is significant.
... Finland and Sweden are already NATO's closest partners, sitting in on many meetings and taking part in joint military exercises. ... However, they cannot benefit from NATO's collective defence clause - that an attack on one ally is an attack on all - until they join the alliance.
Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, both had been locked into decades-old pledges of neutrality in return for promises from the Kremlin that it would not attack.
... Moscow has also threatened to cut off Finnish gas supplies, which could cripple the economy - though would also hurt Russia financially."