Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.RS) accused Georgia Monday of interrupting gas deliveries to South Ossetia and said the rebel Georgian region would be supplied directly from Russia next year.
A Gazprom spokesman said Georgia blamed the interruption on "war actions" during Russian-Georgian conflict in August that damaged the Gori-Tskhinvali gas pipeline.
"I do not know (if it was really damaged), we did not have the chance to verify that," Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupryanov told the Moscow Echo radio.
"We would like South Ossetia to have gas this winter, but for that we need Georgian goodwill. For now, there is none," he said.
A pipeline that would allow gas delivery directly from Russia "is under construction but will not be completed until mid-2009," Kupryanov said.
"Since August, we conducted repairs to restore the gas grid in South Ossetia, so if Georgia delivers gas, the people will have heat," he said.
Russia launched a military offensive against Georgia in August after Georgia attempted to retake control of South Ossetia by force.
Moscow then recognized South Ossetia and its fellow separatist region of Abkhazia as independent states.