Hundreds have taken to the streets in Transnistria, over worsening living conditions and an acute energy shortage
FILE PHOTO. © Vitaly Timkiv; RIA Novosti
Protests have broken out across Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria, calling on the EU-candidate state to restore gas supplies amid a critical energy shortage and cold weather, RT’s Russian service has reported. Demonstrators have gathered in cities across the region, including Bender, Ribnita, and Dubasari.
Last month, Russian energy giant Gazprom announced that it could no longer deliver gas to Europe via Ukraine’s pipeline network due to Kiev’s “repeated and clear refusal” to prolong transit agreements that expired at the end of 2024.
The gas had been shipped from Ukraine on to Moldova, Romania, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, and then to Austria and Italy. Moldova, in turn, transferred the gas to Transnistria in exchange for electricity.
However the supply stopped following Kiev’s decision to discontinue its contract with Gazprom and close its pipeline network to Russian gas transit. Moscow has repeatedly expressed its readiness to extend the contract.
On Friday, hundreds of people in Transnistria – or thousands according to some reports – took to the streets, accusing Moldova of “politicizing” the energy issue.
The head of the unrecognized republic, Vadim Krasnoselsky, said gas in the province would run out in two days, and that coal reserves would be used up by mid-February. Beyond that, Krasnoselsky said the republic would be left without an energy supply unless Moldova takes action.
“Inside some apartments it’s 10 degrees Celsius… We are doing everything to save people. But in a couple of days the gas that remains in the pipe will run out. And without it, things will be very difficult,” Krasnoselsky warned.
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The official claimed that Chisinau was deliberately obstructing the supply of gas to the republic after Moldovan President Maia Sandu announced that humanitarian supplies of Russian gas to the Transnistria republic were illegal because they supposedly “violate international sanctions.”
Gazprom claims Moldova owes it over $700 million, while Chisinau claims its debt to the Russian energy firm amounts to some $8 million.
“Russia did everything to ensure that this supply was carried out,” Krasnoselsky said, stating that Moldovgaz has been blocking the supply of fuel to Transnistria for the past five days and accusing the company of politicizing the process. He argued that supplies could be resumed “tomorrow” with guaranteed payment.
Moldovan authorities have denied blocking the supply. Moldovagaz stated that Chisinau has offered Tiraspol assistance with gas purchases from the EU, but claimed that the republic’s leaders have so far refused, in the hope of restarting supplies from Russia.
Russia has criticized Moldova’s handling of the situation. The Kremlin has accused Chisinau of obstructing the flow of Russian gas to the region. Gazprom has maintained that it is willing to deliver gas, but has cited Moldova’s enormous existing debt as a complicating factor in negotiations.