MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. The Russian fuel and energy complex continues to operate stably as usual, despite the Western sanctions imposed against Russia, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday.

Novak noted that "unprecedented" sanctions by the United States and unfriendly countries have affected Russia’s fuel and energy complex. He recalled that several foreign companies abandoned projects in Russia, paused investments in joint projects.

"Despite all difficulties, problems, and sanctions, I would like to note that currently Russia’s fuel and energy complex continues to operate stably as usual. Current production of energy resources, supplies to the domestic and global energy markets are in progress," he noted.

He noted that the volume of investments in the fuel and energy sector of Russia in 2021 reached 4.4 trillion rubles ($44.12 bln). "According to last year’s results, the share of the fuel and energy complex in GDP amounted to 25.5%, the share of oil and gas revenues increased by 75% in absolute terms to 9.1 trillion rubles, and their share in the federal budget amounted to 36%. The volume of investments in the fuel and energy complex amounted to 4.4 trillion rubles," Novak said.

Novak also called the ban on the commissioning of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline absurd. "The ban on the commissioning of the Nord Stream 2, in my opinion, is an absolute absurdity and a misunderstanding of energy balances," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.