Sonali Ray, writer
Brief news
- Transnistria faces a severe energy crisis due to the suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating or power.
- Moldova declared a state of emergency, warning of a humanitarian disaster affecting Transnistria’s population, while the region’s industries have largely shut down.
- The situation is seen as a security crisis, with Moldova’s Prime Minister accusing Russia of “gas blackmail” and aiming to destabilize the country ahead of upcoming elections.
Detailed news
Transnistria, a breakaway area of Moldova, has been thrown into a grave energy crisis as a result of the suspension of a gas transit arrangement between Russia and Ukraine that had been in place for five years.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the area of Transnistria, which is primarily Russian-speaking, are left without heating or power for the next winter months as a result of Ukraine’s decision to stop the transit of Russian gas to numerous European nations on New Year’s Day.
The pause, which was announced by Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom on Wednesday, marked the end of Moscow’s decades-long domination over Europe’s energy markets. The stoppage was widely anticipated.
It was believed that Moldova, along with Slovakia and Austria, was one of the nations that would be most vulnerable to severe consequences if Russian gas supplies were to be cut off.
In response to concerns regarding energy security, the landlocked nation located in the northeastern corner of the Balkan region of Europe announced a state of emergency for a period of sixty days last month.
Transnistria, a separatist pro-Russian enclave in Moldova, broke away from Moldova in the early 1990s, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union; nonetheless, it is still recognized internationally as being a part of Moldova.
Due to the fact that Russian gas supplies were cut off on Wednesday, the region has been obliged to shut down practically all of its industrial firms, with the exception of those that produce food.
According to Reuters, Sergei Obolonik, the first deputy prime minister of the territory, stated on Thursday that “all industrial enterprises are idle, with the exception of those engaged in food production — that is, directly ensuring food security for Transdniestria.” This statement was made by Sergei Obolonik to a local news channel.
“At this point in time, it is immature to speculate about the future course of events… The problem is so widespread that if it is not fixed for a considerable amount of time, we will already have modifications that are irreversible; in other words, businesses will lose their capacity to begin operations.
“A test of seriousness”
Ukraine, Moldova’s neighbor, had been the conduit through which Russian gas had arrived up until Wednesday. In spite of this, neither Moscow nor Kyiv has shown any willingness to negotiate a new gas transit pact in the midst of the continued conflict.
It has been asserted by Russia that the European Union countries will be the ones to suffer the most as a result of the supply change. Since 1991, Russia has been transporting gas to Europe through pipelines located in Ukraine. The TurkStream pipeline, which connects Russia with Hungary, Serbia, and Turkey, gives Moscow the ability to continue sending gas through the network.
For the purpose of ensuring that the entire 27-nation bloc is ready for such a scenario, the European Commission, which is the executive branch of the European Union, has stated that it has been working with EU member states that will be most affected by the termination of the gas transit deal.
The country of Moldova, which is not a member of the European Union but which, in a referendum held the previous year, narrowly voted in favor of closer links with the EU, is currently dealing with a serious gas crisis.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the head of the breakaway province of Transnistria, stated on Thursday through the use of Telegram that the situation “is difficult, but social collapse is unacceptable.”
According to Krasnoselsky, there are presently around 2,600 facilities in the region that do not have access to heat and hot water. An additional 1,500 of these facilities are apartment buildings.
He stated on Wednesday that the major power plant in Transnistria had begun using coal as a result of the cessation of Russian gas deliveries. He also estimated that the enclave had sufficient gas reserves to endure for ten days of reduced consumption in its northern portions and for twice as long in its southern parts.
Krasnoselsky is quoted as saying, “In Transnistria, the year began with a serious test – an energy crisis provoked by an unfavorable combination of external factors,” as stated in a translation of his statement.
The elections in Moldova
On Friday, the Prime Minister of Moldova, Dorin Recean, stated that the country is currently experiencing a security crisis as a result of the cessation of Russian gas flows through Ukraine. He also accused the Kremlin of engaging in “gas blackmail.”
In a statement that was published on the website of the government, Recean issued a warning about an imminent humanitarian disaster that would affect the 350,000 people who live in the Transnistrian region.
In an effort to destabilize Moldova, Russia is putting the future of the protectorate it has supported for the past three decades in jeopardy. In doing so, Russia is showing the eventual consequence for all of its partners, which is betrayal and isolation, according to Recean.
He continued by saying, “We treat this as a security crisis with the goal of enabling the return of pro-Russian forces to power in Moldova and weaponizing our territory against Ukraine, with whom we share a border that is 1,200 kilometers long for both countries.”
It was announced by the Prime Minister of Moldova that the country had successfully secured its electrical supply in the first few days of the year 2025. The Prime Minister stated that domestic sources covered fifty percent of the country’s energy usage, while the remaining fifty percent came from imports.
A statement made by the Moldovan parliament before the end of the previous year indicated that the cessation of gas supplies from Russia to the Transnistrian area might potentially result in “a humanitarian crisis” as well as “risks to the functioning and stability” of the energy sector in Moldova.
Parliamentary elections are set to take place in Moldova during the next few months. Moldova is located in the middle of Russia and Ukraine. The vote has the potential to determine the future relationship that the country will have with the EU.
At the beginning of November of the previous year, European leaders extended their congratulations to Maia Sandu, the sitting president of the country, for her victory in the runoff vote for the presidential election. The ballot was regarded as an additional step on the path that the former Soviet republic would take in order to become a member of the bloc.
Source : CNBC news
