(Reuters) – Authorities in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria said on Saturday that energy conservation measures had allowed them to ease restrictions caused by the halt in Russian gas supplies, while further reducing power outages.
Moldova's pro-European central government has renewed its criticism of Russia, saying it caused the energy crisis and now wants to portray itself as the force that comes to the breakaway region's rescue.
Transdniestria, which broke away from Moldova at the end of Soviet rule, relied on Russian gas shipped through Ukraine. The authorities in Ukraine, which has been involved in a 34-month conflict with Russia, refused to extend the transit agreement until 2025.
Russian gas giant Gazprom (MCX:) said it will not send gas to Moldova via alternative routes, citing what it describes as Moldovan arrears of $709 million. Moldova, which condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine, disputes this figure.
Pro-Russian leaders in Transdniestria said in a report on the region's official Telegram channel that the daily power outages would be reduced to three hours on Sunday. The power outage, which lasted for eight hours earlier this week, lasted for five hours on Friday.
The channel quoted First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Opolonik as saying, “With the current superior efficiency in consumption, Transdniestria has enough gas until the end of January.”
Many factories have switched to night shifts, when the power grid is under less pressure, but authorities said one factory, a cement plant in the town of Rybnica, had closed its doors.
A steel plant of crucial importance to the region in the city has also been closed.
Russian gas supplied to the breakaway region powers a thermal plant that provides electricity to both Transdniestria and most of the needs of government-controlled areas.
Moldova holds Russia responsible
Daniel Vuda, press secretary for Moldova's central government, said suggestions that Russia might back down and eventually send gas to Transdniestria do not change Moscow's responsibility for the energy crisis.
“Every time Russia wants to show its power, it cuts off vital resources and turns people hostage,” Voda told Nokta media.
“This is an experiment using human subjects that shows that Moscow is not concerned about the comfort and security of the population… No one deserves to live in fear and in the cold.”
The Moldovan government has accused Russia of artificially creating an energy crisis to destabilize the country ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for this summer. It has offered to help Transdniestria address energy shortages, but leaders of the breakaway region deny receiving any official proposals.
Moldova's President Maia Sandu said that Gazprom can supply gas to Transdniestria via an alternative route, which is the TurkStream pipeline through Türkiye, then Bulgaria and Romania.
Transdniestria fought a short war against Moldovan government forces in 1992 and still hosts 1,500 Russian soldiers in the small region bordering Ukraine.
