Supplies of Russian natural gas to Armenia via the North Caucasus-Transcaucasia pipeline will be temporarily halted from September 15 to 25, owing to scheduled maintenance and repair operations inside Russia.
However, zero disruption is anticipated for end consumers, as the temporary gap will be covered by domestic reserves in Armenia alongside supplementary gas deliveries procured from Iran.
According to the press office of Gazprom Armenia, the suspension stems from scheduled routine work along the North Caucasus-Transcaucasia pipeline corridor on the territory of the Russian Federation.
«Due to planned maintenance and repair operations on the North Caucasus-Transcaucasia natural gas pipeline in the Russian Federation, natural gas deliveries to Armenia via the pipeline will be temporarily suspended from September 15 to 25», the company announced in a statement on Telegram.
Concurrently, Gazprom Armenia provided assurances that no restrictions will be placed on consumers, as domestic demand will be met through existing storage inventories combined with supplementary imports from Iran.
This does not mark the first time that flows of Russian gas to Armenia have been temporarily suspended. The prior shutoff took place from September 16 to 26, 2025, due to maintenance operations in Stavropol Krai. That had been preceded by another interruption from August 22 to 23, 2025, when emergency repairs were carried out on the Krasny Most-Sevkar-Berd pipeline in Georgia, which constitutes an integral section of the North Caucasus-Transcaucasia transit grid.
Armenia seeks alternative supply sources
The temporary halt in Russian deliveries coincides with a period during which Yerevan is actively examining the broader diversification of its natural gas procurement.
On September 11, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, stated that the country is exploring options to source gas from multiple suppliers.
«If an opportunity arises to purchase natural gas from a second source, or to acquire larger volumes from a second source, we will follow that path. If the option emerges to buy from a third source, we will follow that path as well. We will do the exact same if a fourth source becomes available», Pashinyan stated.
Concurrently, he pointed to the prospect of constructing a transit gas pipeline across Armenia under the TRIPP framework, noting that the country could derive economic benefits from gas transit through its sovereign territory.
According to the Armenian Prime Minister, natural gas inside Armenia cannot be characterized as cheap, as retail tariffs scale up from the border to the final consumer at a faster pace than in many other nations.
The debate surrounding the cost of Russian gas has acquired broader political dimensions. In early April, the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, Alen Simonyan, stated that Yerevan could initiate a withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) should the price of Russian gas be increased.
Russian military base enters the crosshairs
The friction surrounding gas pricing has spilled into the issue of the Russian military presence in Armenia.
On September 12, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense and Security, Vilen Gabrielyan, stated that Armenia could demand lease payments for the deployment of Russian armed forces bases if Moscow increases natural gas tariffs charged to the country.
«My personal view is that such a financial recalculation could also be applied regarding the base, since, as we know, its territory and upkeep are largely underwritten by the Republic of Armenia», he stated, according to Factor.am.
Russia has repeatedly raised the prospect of reviewing preferential gas pricing granted to Armenia in light of Yerevan's diplomatic pivot toward Europe under the administration of Nikol Pashinyan.
During a meeting with Pashinyan in April, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Moscow supplied Armenia with natural gas at 177.5 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters, whereas European wholesale benchmarks hovered around 600 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters at that time.
Since then, European market prices have accelerated further. According to Reuters, on September 8 benchmark TTF futures surpassed 75 euros per MWh (equivalent to roughly 785 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters), registering their highest mark since January 2023.
On September 14, intraday exchange pricing broke above 1,000 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters for the first time since December 2022.
Peskov: Preferential pricing represents Russian state support
From Moscow, the press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, emphasized that preferential gas prices granted to Armenia impose a cost on Russia and function effectively as direct economic aid.
«Naturally, benefits received by the Armenians are always underwritten by someone else. It is not something that drops from the sky. It comes at the expense of the Russian Federation.
The Armenian people are our fraternal people. That country is fraternal, it was and will remain fraternal. Yet it comes at our cost, we must call things by their true name. This constitutes our aid to Armenians. For instance, when Europeans sell natural gas for 500 to 800 dollars, nobody assists them at their own expense», he remarked.
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