Defence firm Sheffield Forgemasters told to end contract with Gazprom

It is understood that the MoD has made clear to Sheffield Forgemasters that ministers expect the arrangement with Gazprom’s UK arm be terminated. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA

The defence manufacturer Sheffield Forgemasters, which was nationalised last summer, has been told by the UK government to terminate an energy contract with the Russian state-owned company Gazprom.

The South Yorkshire steelmaker, owned by the Ministry of Defence but largely run independently, is a key supplier for the Trident submarine fleet. It has been told to ditch a deal with Gazprom’s UK arm, in news that was first reported by the Sunday Telegraph.