Berlin, 11 July 2022 (dpa/MIA) - Gas deliveries from Russia to Germany have stopped for a period of 10 days for maintenance work on the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline, causing even more uncertainty in Europe's biggest economy over energy supplies as the war in Ukraine rages. Nord Stream 1 is the most important connection for natural gas flows to Germany, and supplies through the pipeline had already been reduced to about 40% of capacity. This also had a knock-on effect on gas to other countries further west. With tensions between Europe and Russia at their highest in decades over the war in Ukraine, officials are concerned that the gas supply might not be reinstated on July 21 once the scheduled maintenance work is completed. The head of Germany's Network Agency which is responsible for the gas grid, Klaus Müller, said there had been mixed messages from Moscow. On the one hand, the Kremlin had said that gas supplies would return to normal once a repaired turbine had been returned from Canada. On the other hand, he said, there had been some very severe statements coming out of Moscow. "To be honest, no one knows," Müller told broadcaster ZDF. The repaired turbine has become a saga in itself. Moscow said the repair work in Canada and the return of the turbine had been delayed by international sanctions on Russia. German ministers said the motive was more likely political. In the meantime, Siemens Energy said the necessary part would be in place as soon as possible, and that its "experts are working under heavy pressure to sort out all formal requirements as well as the logistics, such as standards for export and import controls." Siemens Energy did not say when the delivery of the part will be scheduled. The effort to get the turbine back has incurred the wrath of the Ukrainian government, which accuses the West of bending over backwards to ignore sanctions and restore Russian gas supplies, which it says are funding the war in Ukraine. Berlin responded on Monday by saying that the turbine would not be affected by EU sanctions as they did not cover gas transit. Germany and other Western countries have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia in an effort to pressure Moscow to halt the fighting. However, many countries depend heavily on Russian energy and Moscow has halted gas supplies to several nations, in what is widely seen as a retaliatory response. The 10 days of maintenance on Nord Stream 1 shutdown is to check and repair or recalibrate the power supply, fire and gas safety systems and certain valves as needed, along with software updates. Similar repair work has taken between 10 and 14 days in the past and has not always been completed by the scheduled deadline. The maintenance work comes as Germany urgently seeks to reduce its dependency on Russian gas, while also filling storage tanks for the winter ahead. Fears are growing that any sudden loss of gas supplies would have dramatic effects on industry as well as private households. Gas was still reaching Europe through another route, via Ukraine. Some 41.1 million cubic metres was booked to flow on Monday - still less than half of the pipeline's capacity.