ST.PETERSBURG, July 24. /TASS/. The situation with Siemens does not pose any risk To Russian companies, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.

"Our domestic market is absolutely competitive, everything that Siemens delivers can be supplied by other companies, including those in electric power industry. In many respects, as part of the import substitution policy, we learned how to produce the appropriate equipment. I do not think that leaving our market will be an effective step for them. For us it does not carry risks," Novak said.

On July 21, Siemens announced that all four gas turbines produced by the German company for a project in southern Russia have been delivered to Crimea, in breach of the agreements.

Siemens stressed that it has no plans to wrap up operations in Russia but will toughen the rules of operation in the country. From now on it will implement new projects for development of gas turbine power generation equipment in Russia only through a joint venture with Power Machines - Siemens Gas Turbine Technologies (STGT), and its wholly-owned subsidiary, OOO Siemens, Moscow. All new engagements would be subject to the new, permanent control mechanism, the company said.

Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov stressed, in connection with the scandal, that the Russian party showed maximum legal correctness when using Siemens technologies in production of turbines for thermal power plants in Crimea. The minister explained that Simferopol and Sevastopol thermal power plants will be equipped with turbines that were made in Russia with the use of foreign components. The turbines have a Russian certificate, the minister said.

Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported referring to a diplomatic source, that another three or four Russian citizens may be put on the EU's sanctions list because of the scandal with Siemens turbines. In particular, according to Reuters, the sanctions may concern representatives of the Energy Ministry, as well as the companies that transported the turbines to the peninsula. It is expected that the expansion of the sanctions list will be discussed on Wednesday.