Gazprom has since been working to rule, delivering basic contract volumes but not the usual season top-up flows. It booked almost no extra capacity for July, August, September, and now October. It has booked minimal amounts through the Polish Yamal pipeline, another twist that is seriously alarming markets. Gazprom says it has made up much of the shortfall to Europe with extra flows through the southern Turk Stream pipeline, which opened last year. Whether this comes close to compensating is hotly disputed. Mr Vitrenko says the Kremlin was emboldened after President Joe Biden overrode US Congressional sanctions against Nord Stream 2 and subsequently agreed to a fig-leaf deal with Germany's Angela Merke l that gave Moscow what it wanted. "The Russians perceived it as a chance to increase pressure. Right after they started to withhold gas and prices sky-rocketed," he said.