Transnistria freezes as Russia halts gas through Ukraine
The supply of hot water and heating has 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 in Transnistria, hot water and heating were stopped. This is due to Russia's decision to cease exporting gas through Ukraine.
Reuters reported the information, citing reports from an employee of the local energy network, Tirasteploenergo. The agency highlighted that the situation is becoming critical in Tiraspol, the largest city in the region.
Cold in Transnistria. Russia halted gas supplies through Ukraine
The heating was cut off at 2 PM Greenwich Mean Time, as confirmed on the Tirasteploenergo website. The restrictions do not apply to some institutions, such as hospitals. The company urged residents to dress warmly and use electric heaters.
Russia stopped gas supplies transiting through Ukraine due to the expiration of the agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. The agreement had been signed five years ago.
"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 depended on Russian gas, purchasing the resource on European markets. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasised that the decision to halt gas transit is due to concerns over national security.
