Poland's deputy PM has said that disruption to Poland's gas supply from Russia is an attempt to test Warsaw's resolve in its conflict with Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

photo - gazprom.com

“I think that the temporary disruptions of the recent days were in fact an attempt from the eastern supplier to test Poland's reaction," Janusz Piechocinski said on Saturday after Poland's gas distributor noted a cut in volume of gas being delivered to Poland last week.

Russian gas giant Gazprom has said, however, it will be able to supply Poland with a minimum level of gas, as Polish gas pipeline operator Gaz-System informed that deliveries are still less than requested.

“They are requesting the maximum, and we are only able to supply closer to the daily minimum,” Gazprom's spokesperson told Reuters on Saturday, without providing any further explanation.

Last week Gazprom said that it was in the process of filling Russia's gas caverns and that exports were to some point dependent on that situation.

Poland's gas distributor PGNiG said however that there was a lower-than-expected influx of gas through entry points on the Belarusian and Ukrainian borders.

"The increased requests by PGNiG are still not being met," Gaz-System's spokeswoman Malgorzata Polkowska said on Sunday.

Last Monday, supplies were some 20 percent lower than orders, on Tuesday they were 24 percent lower and on Wednesday they were 45 percent lower. Thursday influx was higher, but still below orders.

PGNiG says the situation would not affect individual gas consumers and that Poland's gas stores were full.

Throughout last week, Gazprom said that it was delivering the usual amount of the fuel to Poland, 23 million cubic metres a day.

Lower-than-expected gas supplies were also recorded in Slovakia.

According to energy experts quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Russia could be limiting supply to EU countries in order to discourage the bloc from imposing further sanctions related to the Ukrainian crisis.

The situation could also be connected with the fact that Poland, Slovakia and Hungary are involved in the so-called reverse supply of Russian gas to Ukraine. (kw/pg)