The Russian energy company Gazprom abruptly halted deliveries of natural gas to Austria on Saturday following a legal dispute over supply interruptions. The stoppage was confirmed to dpa by Austrian energy company OMV spokeswoman Sylvia Shin.

Russia will stop its gas deliveries to Austria from Saturday, Austrian oil and gas group OMV said on Friday. OMV said it had received notice from Gazprom Export, a subsidiary of Kremlin-controlled energy giant Gazprom.

Russia's Gazprom has told Austria that it is suspending gas deliveries from Saturday, a gas flow monitoring platform reported on Friday, in a development that could signal the end of the last Russian gas supplies to Europe.