MOSCOW: Russia’s natural gas production in the first half of the year fell by almost 10% to 330 billion cubic metres (bcm), the Kommersant daily reported on Wednesday citing sources familiar with the statistics, as exports fell.

Gas output in June fell by 4.5% year on year to 44.8 bcm, it reported, with production from Kremlin-controlled Gazprom down by around 14.8% to 24.9 bcm. Gazprom’s output for the first six months of the year fell by almost a fifth to 204.7 bcm, the newspaper reported. Gazprom did not reply to a request for immediate comment.

Russia classified or cut down on publishing various statistics last year. It has seen a decline in production and exports since the start of what Moscow calls its special military operation, which began in Ukraine in February 2022.