Transnistria crisis: Russian gas halt leaves region in the cold
In Transnistria, a separatist region of Moldova, hot water and heating supplies have been suspended. Russia's decision to halt gas exports through Ukraine has triggered an energy crisis.
On Wednesday in Transnistria, a separatist region of Moldova, the supply of hot water and heating was halted due to Russia's decision to stop exporting gas through Ukraine.
This information was reported by Reuters, citing reports from an employee of the local energy network, Tirasteploenergo. The agency emphasizes that the situation is becoming critical in Tiraspol, the largest city in the region.
Cold in Transnistria. Russia halted gas supplies through Ukraine
The Tirasteploenergo website confirmed that the heating was turned off at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. However, some institutions, such as hospitals, are not affected by the restrictions. The company urged residents to dress warmly and use electric heaters.
Russia halted gas supplies transiting through Ukraine due to the expiration of the agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. The agreement was signed for five years.
"Due to the repeated and explicit refusal of the Ukrainian side to extend these agreements, Gazprom was deprived of the technical and legal opportunity to supply gas for transit through the territory of Ukraine from January 1, 2025," Gazprom stated in a released statement.
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Moldova previously received approximately 70 billion cubic feet of Russian gas annually, some of which went to Transnistria. The rest of the country has not depended on Russian gas since 2023, purchasing the resource on European markets. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasized that the decision to stop gas transit is due to concerns over national security.
