Transnistria's energy crisis deepens as Russia halts gas routes
Hot water and heating supplies have been suspended in Transnistria, a separatist region of Moldova. Russia's decision to halt gas exports through Ukraine has triggered an energy crisis.
On Wednesday, the supply of hot water and heating was halted in Transnistria, a separatist region of Moldova. The reason is Russia's decision to stop exporting gas through Ukraine.
Reuters reported the information, 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 cut off at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. The restrictions do not apply to some institutions, such as hospitals. 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 2 billion cubic metres of Russian gas annually, some of which went to Transnistria. Since 2023, the rest of the country has not been dependent on Russian gas, purchasing the resource on European markets. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasized that the decision to stop gas transit is due to concerns over national security.
