The Russia–EU gas dispute flared up in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine in late February. Russia and the major EU countries clashed over the issue of payment for pipeline natural gas exported to Europe by Russia's Gazprom. In June, Russia cut the flow of gas by more than half, in July it stopped and resumed it, and in September it stopped it altogether. On 26 September 2022, the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines both ruptured with evidence of sabotage.