MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. The Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region has granted the claim filed by Gazprom Export against TAG GmbH, the operator of the Trans Austria Gas pipeline, according to the arbitration case records.

"Grant the claim in full or in part," the case records state. Earlier, the court transferred the proceedings to a closed session at the request of Gazprom Export.

Gazprom Export’s lawsuit against TAG GmbH sought to invalidate the Austrian company’s payment demands regarding 12 invoices (one for each month of 2025). In addition to the Austrian gas pipeline operator, PJSC Sberbank of Russia was a defendant in the lawsuit but it was subsequently designated as a third party. Gazprom Export asked the court to declare invalid TAG GmbH’s claims against Sberbank regarding three letters demanding payment under bank guarantees.

At Gazprom Export’s request, the court granted interim measures barring Sberbank from making payments under 2021 bank guarantees to the Austrian company. Gazprom argued that failure to adopt interim measures could complicate or render impossible the enforcement of the judicial act in the present case.

The Trans Austria Gas pipeline transports natural gas from the Slovak-Austrian border at Baumgarten to Arnoldstein in southern Austria near the Italian border. This route was used to transport natural gas from Russia to Italy. The pipeline is operated by TAG GmbH, whose shareholders are Italy’s Snam (84.47%), and Austria’s Gas Connect Austria GmbH (15.53%).

The contract for the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine, which provided for the transport of 40 bln cubic meters annually, expired on January 1, 2025. However, Ukraine’s refusal to renew the agreement deprived Gazprom of the technical and legal means to supply gas via this route, resulting in the suspension of deliveries.