Ten more European buyers have opened accounts at Gazprombank, says a person close to the Russian energy giant, according to a Bloomberg report.
Four European gas buyers have already paid for supplies in rubles, as demanded by President Vladimir Putin, Bloomberg reports quoting a person close to Russian gas giant Gazprom.

Even if other buyers reject the Kremlin’s terms, the suspension of gas supplies is unlikely to occur until the second half of May, when the next payments are due, said the person, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Ten European companies have already opened accounts with Gazprombank that are required to meet Russia’s payment requirements, the source said.

Gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria were suspended today after the two countries rejected Gazprom’s proposed mechanism for payments in rubles, which, according to the company, does not violate European Union sanctions, according to the same person. Russia supplies gas through pipelines to 23 European countries.

Following the European Union’s imposition of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has demanded that it be paid in rubles for gas shipments from April 1. However, the union said the mechanism proposed by the Kremlin, which required the opening of accounts in the Russian-controlled Gazprombank, would violate sanctions.