Gazprom will send more gas to Kaliningrad Baltic exclave, says governor

Russia's state natural gas producer Gazprom will increase gas supplies to the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, regional governor Anton Alikhanov said on Wednesday, amid increased tensions with neighbouring Lithuania.

Russia's state natural gas producer Gazprom will increase gas supplies to the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, regional governor Anton Alikhanov said on Wednesday, amid increased tensions with neighbouring Lithuania. Russian President Vladimir Putin in May told Gazprom it should consider boosting liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to Kaliningrad - a region sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland.

Alikhanov said the decision to increase supplies was made at a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. The government said on its website the two officials discussed strengthening of the region's energy security. Lithuanian authorities imposed a ban this month on transit through their territory to Kaliningrad of goods subject to EU sanctions. Kaliningrad is home to Russia's Baltic naval fleet and a deployment location for Russian nuclear-capable Iskander missiles.