MOSCOW: Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom said Thursday it planned to cut investment spending by a fifth next year amid dwindling gas flows to Europe and a heavy tax burden.

Since Russia launched its assault on Ukraine in February 2022, European countries have sharply cut gas imports from Russia in a bid to curb Moscow’s ability to fund the conflict.

The Kremlin has relied on oil and gas export revenues to fund its offensive in Ukraine, and last year announced massive tax hikes on the industry to cover its budget.

While Gazprom has shifted some of its exports to China and Turkey, it slashed its gas production by a quarter in the first half of this year as it struggled to make up for lost sales.