More than 51,000 households in Transnistria – the separatist region of Moldova – are without gas, and 1,500 high-rise buildings have no heating, the authorities in Chisinau reported. Prime Minister Dorin Recean believes that Moscow wants to influence the results of the parliamentary elections in Moldova. – They want a pro-Russian government – he said.
Transnistria has been receiving Russian gas for decades Ukrainewhich was largely used to produce electricity, which was also sold to the rest Moldova. However, since January 1, the flow of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory has been suspended because Kiev refused to extend the agreement on this matter.
The government of Moldova accuses the Russian company of causing the energy crisis Gazpromwhich, according to Chisinau, refused to deliver the contracted gas to Transnistria via an alternative route through the Balkans.
“Russia wants to create instability in the region”
– The essence is that Russia wants to cause instability in the region, but also – and this is very important – to influence the results of the parliamentary elections in Moldova. They want a pro-Russian government, Prime Minister Recean said at a briefing.
Gazprom maintains that it has suspended gas supplies to Moldova due to an unpaid debt of $709 million. The Moldovan side claims that it has no debts to Gazprom.
No gas in 122 towns
According to the Transnistrian authorities, 122 towns were without gas supplies on Monday. There is no heating in at least 131 schools and 147 kindergartens.
Since the suspension of Russian gas supplies, Moldova has imported approximately 60 percent. needed electricity from Romania. The Moldovan government claims that it offered help to the Transnistrian separatists, but they rejected it.
The Transnistrian authorities announced on Monday evening that electricity supply restrictions would be increased to two four-hour outages a day.
The transit of Russian gas through Ukraine has been suspended
On January 1, Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian gas through its territory.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Energy in Kiev announced that at 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. in Poland), “in the interest of national security”, Ukraine suspended the transit of Russian gas through its territory.
– We have suspended the transit of Russian gas. This is a historical event. Russia is losing markets and will also suffer financial losses. Europe has already decided to give up Russian raw material, announced Energy Minister Herman Hałuszczenko.
The Russian state-owned company Gazprom announced on Wednesday morning that it had been “deprived of the technical and legal possibilities to supply gas through Ukraine.” “On January 1, 2025, at 8 a.m. Moscow time (6 a.m. in Poland), the validity period of the documents signed on December 30, 2019 between Gazprom and Naftogaz regarding the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine expired,” Gazprom reported, adding that “from 8 a.m. Moscow, there are no deliveries of Russian gas for transit through Ukraine.
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