Ten European companies have already opened special accounts with Gazprombank to meet the payment demands of President Vladimir Putin.. Four European gas buyers have already paid through these gas bills.

It is reported by Bloomberg.

According to Gazprom sources, further shutdowns, if others refuse the Kremlin's demand, are likely not until the second half of May, when the next payments are due..

Deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria were halted on Wednesday after they abandoned a settlement mechanism offered by Gazprom.. Russia supplies gas via pipelines to 23 European countries.

After the EU imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow demanded payment in rubles for supplies starting April 1. But the bloc told member states that the Kremlin's proposed mechanism requiring the opening of euro and ruble accounts for the Gazprombank-controlled would violate sanctions..

Russian energy monopoly Gazprom said on Wednesday that it had suspended gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland due to the countries' refusal to pay for gas in rubles..