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Gas Supply Cut Triggers Power Shortages in Transdniestria
KYIV (Reuters) – The breakaway region of Transdniestria is experiencing ongoing power outages as of Saturday, following the cessation of Russian gas supplies attributed to Ukraine’s recent decision not to extend a transit contract for gas from Russia, according to local officials.
On New Year’s Day, gas shipments from Russia through Ukraine to Central and Eastern Europe were interrupted after an agreement between the two nations expired. Ukraine subsequently declined to negotiate a new deal with Russia, creating cascading effects on gas-dependent regions.
Authorities in Transdniestria announced that the first phase of rolling blackouts commenced on Friday evening. This predominantly Russian-speaking area, which declared independence from Moldova in the 1990s, previously relied on Russian gas flowing through Ukraine for its electricity generation.
According to the official Telegram channel of Transdniestria’s government, power outages are scheduled to last three hours, from 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) to 5 p.m., affecting numerous districts. Vadim Krasnoselsky, the self-proclaimed president of Transdniestria, indicated that such power shortages were unavoidable. He mentioned that the region has enough gas reserves to manage limited usage for up to ten days in the northern parts, and for approximately double that timeframe in the south. However, he did not disclose any plans for sourcing additional gas supplies beyond that period.
In a follow-up post on Saturday, Krasnoselsky warned that the duration of blackouts may increase to four hours on Sunday.
While Russia denies allegations of using gas as a means of political pressure on Moldova, it attributes the supply issue to Ukraine’s refusal to agree to the gas transit arrangement. Moldova itself relies on Romania for about 60% of its gas requirements, while generating the rest domestically. The blackouts in Transdniestria raise particular concerns for Moldova, as the region is home to a power plant that supplies the majority of electricity at fixed rates to areas controlled by the Moldovan government.
Prime Minister Dorin Recean expressed that Moldova is facing a security crisis due to the electricity shortfalls stemming from Transdniestria’s rolling blackouts. However, he reassured that the government in Chisinau has devised alternative solutions, which include a combination of domestic power generation and electricity imports from Romania.
Moldova maintains that Russian energy giant Gazprom has the capacity to supply gas directly to it without routing through Ukraine but has chosen not to do so. Gazprom had previously declared, on December 28, its intention to halt exports to Moldova effective January 1, citing alleged unpaid debts totaling $709 million. Moldova contests this assertion, claiming that the actual debt is only about $8.6 million.
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