April 27 (Reuters) – Russian energy giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) on Wednesday halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland because they had failed to pay in roubles.

Poland and Bulgaria are the first countries to have their gas cut off by Europe’s main supplier since Moscow started what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that countries he terms “unfriendly” agree to a scheme under which they would open accounts at Gazprombank and make payments for Russian gas imports in euros or dollars that would be converted into roubles.

Poland has repeatedly said it will not pay for Russian gas in roubles and has planned not to extend its gas contract with Gazprom after it expires in the end of this year.

“Payments for gas supplied from April 1 must be made in roubles using the new payments details, about which the counterparties were informed in a timely manner,” Gazprom said on Wednesday.

Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Guy Faulconbridge