Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
KYIV (Reuters) – The pro-Russian Moldovan region of Transnistria faced a long-running blackout on Saturday after gas supplies from Russia stopped crossing through neighboring Ukraine, local officials said.
Russian gas flowing through Ukraine to Central and Eastern Europe was halted on New Year’s Day after a transit deal between the warring nations expired and Kiev refused to extend the deal.
In the last days of Soviet rule, mainly Russian-speaking Transnistria, which lived side by side with Moldova, received gas from Russian giant Gazprom (MCCAC) via a pipeline through Ukraine.
The gas was used to power a thermal plant that supplied electricity to the country and most of Moldova under the control of a pro-European central government.
The region’s autonomous president, Vadim Krasnoselsky, wrote on the Telegram messaging app that the rolling power outages in various districts would be extended to four hours on Sunday.
Hour-long reductions were made Friday evening after heating and hot water supplies were shut off. Subsequently, the Saturday reduction was extended to three hours.
“Yesterday there was an attempt to introduce a rolling cut. And it proved that a one-hour break is not enough to maintain the electricity supply system,” Krasnoselsky wrote. “The power that is generated does not cover the demand that is increasing dramatically.”
All industries except those producing food are closed. The official Telegram news channel of the region’s separatist authorities announced the official closure of a steel factory and bakery in the town of Ribnica on Saturday.
State officials announced new measures to help residents, especially the elderly, and warned that temperatures could drop to -10 Celsius (+14 Fahrenheit) overnight. Residents have been told not to strain the region’s mobile phone network.
Use of fuel
The news station warned against using heaters in an emergency after two residents died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a stove. Footage posted online showed distribution crews loading trucks with wood.
“Don’t stop gathering in the firewood,” Krasnoselsky told residents. “Especially since the weather is so far favorable, it is better to confirm your supply in advance.”
The Moldovan government blamed Russia for the crisis and demanded that Gazprom send gas through the Turkish Stream pipeline and then through Bulgaria and Romania.
Russia denies using gas as a tool to coerce Moldova, and blames Kiev for refusing to renew the gas transit agreement.
Transdniestria’s power outages are a problem for Moldova, especially because the area is a power station that supplies most of the power to state-controlled parts of Moldova at a steady, low price.
Prime Minister Doreen Reesen said on Friday that his country faced a security crisis after Transnistria imposed a rolling blackout, but the Chisinau government was preparing alternative arrangements, including a mix of domestic produce and electricity from Romania.
Even before the cutoff of supplies through Ukraine, Gazprom said it would stop deliveries to Moldova on January 1 because Russia owes Moldova $709 million in unpaid debt. Moldova disputed this and put the figure at $8.6 million.
