Government spokesman Daniel Voda claims that Russian blackmail must end.
The Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria is struggling with energy and heat supply difficulties after the stoppage of natural gas transit through Ukraine. This was stated by the Moldovan government on Wednesday, according to TASR, according to the AFP agency.
“The Transnistrian region is going through a difficult situation after (local supplier) Tiraspoltransgaz interrupted the supply of natural gas and heat, which affected localities and public institutions,” said government spokesman Daniel Voda. He blamed Moscow for the situation and declared that “Russian blackmail of the Transnistrian region it has to end”.
Local media reported on heating and hot water outages for households in the region. Energy supplier Tirasteploenergo urged residents to dress warmly, gather in one room, cover windows and balcony doors with thick curtains or blankets and use electric heaters, Reuters reported.
Temperatures in the regional capital Tiraspol reached four degrees Celsius on Wednesday. About 450,000 people live in the predominantly Russian-speaking Transnistria. Russia has approximately 1,500 soldiers stationed there. The rest of Moldova has so far been spared blackouts, having secured electricity supplies from neighboring Romania. Russian natural gas did not come to it before, but it still relied on the main power plant in Transnistria, supplied with gas from Russia, for electricity production. Moldova recently announced the adoption of measures to reduce energy consumption by at least a third.
