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Moldova breakaway region faces extended blackouts after gas cutoff
January 5, 2025
Article Body TextKYIV, UKRAINE — <p>The pro-Russian breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniestria, left without Russian gas supplies no longer transiting through neighboring Ukraine, faced longer periods of rolling power cuts on Saturday, local authorities said. </p> <p>Flows of Russian gas via Ukraine to central and eastern Europe stopped on New Year's Day after a transit deal expired between the warring countries and Kyiv refused to extend it. </p> <p>Transdniestria, a mainly Russian-speaking enclave which has lived side-by-side with Moldova since breaking away from it in the last days of Soviet rule, received gas from Russian giant Gazprom through the pipeline crossing Ukraine. </p> <p>The gas was used to operate a thermal plant that provided electricity locally and for much of Moldova under the control of the pro-European central government. </p> <p>The region's self-styled president, Vadim Krasnoselsky, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said rolling power cuts in various districts would be extended to four hours Sunday. </p> <p>Hour-long cuts were first imposed Friday evening after heating and hot water supplies were curtailed. The cuts were then extended to three hours on Saturday. </p> <p>"Yesterday's introduction of rolling cuts was a test. And it confirmed that an hour-long break to keep the electrical supply system operating was insufficient," Krasnoselsky wrote. "The power generated is not covering sharply rising demand." </p> <p>All industries except those producing food have been shut down. The official Telegram news channel of the region's separatist authorities announced the official closure on Saturday of a steel mill and bakery in the town of Rybnitsa. </p> <p>Regional officials announced new measures to help residents, especially the elderly, and warned that overnight temperatures would fall to -10 Celsius (+14 Fahrenheit). Residents were told not to put strain on the region's mobile phone network. </p> <p><strong>Using firewood </strong></p> <p>The news channel warned against using heaters in disrepair after two residents died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a stove. Online pictures showed servicemen loading up trucks with firewood for distribution. </p> <p>"Don't put off gathering in firewood," Krasnoselsky told residents. "It is better to ensure your supply in advance, especially since the weather is favorable so far." </p> <p>Moldova's government blames Russia for the crisis and has called on Gazprom to ship gas through the TurkStream pipeline and then through Bulgaria and Romania. </p> <p>Russia denies using gas as a weapon to coerce Moldova and blames Kyiv for refusing to renew the gas transit deal. </p> <p>The Transdniestria power cuts are a problem for Moldova particularly because the enclave is home to a power plant that provides most of the power for government-controlled areas of Moldova at a fixed and low price. </p> <p>Prime Minister Dorin Recean said Friday his country faced a security crisis after Transdniestria imposed the rolling blackouts, but he also said the Chisinau government had prepared alternative arrangements, with a mixture of domestic production and electricity imports from Romania. </p> <p>Even before the halt of supplies via Ukraine, Gazprom had said it would suspend exports to Moldova on January 1 because of what Russia says are unpaid Moldovan debts of $709 million. Moldova disputes that and put the figure at $8.6 million. </p>
Content TypeText
LanguageEnglish
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateJanuary 4, 2025 20:35 EST
BylineReuters
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
