New Delhi, April 9 -- Russia is seeking to leverage a global natural gas supply crunch to lure energy-starved South Asia into purchasing shipments from its US-sanctioned facilities, according to people familiar with the matter.

The shipments were being offered at a 40% discount to spot prices last week via little-known intermediary companies based in China and Russia, said the people, who asked not to be named as they aren't authorized to speak with the media. The sellers said that they could provide paperwork to make it appear that the shipments originated from non-Russian sources, like Oman or Nigeria, the people said.

Bloomberg News wasn't able to confirm whether any of the shipments were purchased.

The effective closure of the Stra...