As an energy crisis looms in the South Caucasus this winter, the BBC reports that the Tbilisi Mayor’s Office has cut off gas supplies to the Russian Embassy in the Georgian capital. Blasts that disrupted supplies of gas to Georgia have been blamed on Russia by the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili who accuses Moscow of attempting to “punish” his pro-western government.

The mayor of the capital, Tbilisi, said it was more urgent to heat homes than buildings used by those taking part in an “energy blockade” on Georgia.

Many Georgians have been without gas or electricity after blasts wrecked a pipeline from Russia.

[…]

The crisis comes during the coldest winter for decades, with temperatures of -20C.

Obviously, the move was not taken so well by the Russian government who issued a statement condeming the decision. According to Civil.ge the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Tbilisi of taking “one more anti-Russian action.” Meanwhile, Armenia has not yet been affected as adversely as its northern neighbor. However, RFE/RL reported yesterday that the country’s gas distributor remained unconvinced by Russian pledges to repair the pipeline this weekend.

Sardarian said on Friday that ARG has yet to decide whether to limit supplies to business consumers such as factories and liquefied gas filling stations. “It depends on the situation on the ground,” she said, underscoring the persisting uncertainty. “If repair work is completed and gas supplies resume by the promised date, there will hopefully be no [supply] limitations. If the situation changes, we will have to look at a timetable for limitations.”

Myrthe posted some concerns about the disruption of gas to Armenia last Sunday on Life as I see it, but on a brighter note, China’s Xinhuanet reports that gas supplies to Georgia and Armenia resumed this morning. I’d expect that the major Armenian news agencies will confirm this tomorrow. Update: Mosnews confirms that gas supplies to Georgia and Armenia have now been resumed.