Moldova initiated an emergency gas supply to the breakaway Transnistria region on 1 February, in order to prevent a potential humanitarian crisis after Russian gas supplies to Europe were stopped in January.
According to Mr. Vadim Ceban, interim director of Moldovagaz, gas deliveries began at 8:30 a.m. on January 1 local time with volumes sufficient to maintain pipeline pressure, Europa Libera reported.
On January 31, Moldova Prime Minister Dorin Recean announced that the European Commission would allocate 30 million euros to buy gas for Transnistria. He later said the government had reached a new deal with the EU, doubling the initial amount from 30 million euros to 64 million euros.
The moldovese government is committed to providing 3 million cubic metres of gas under an agreement signed with gas company Tiraspoltransgaz on January 29. The Transnistrian government has pledged to return the gas it had borrowed before March 1.
Transnistria leader Vadim Krasnoselsky described the gas as a technical loan, not humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the EU has proposed gas supplies as a direct humanitarian aid through the moldese government, although it is unclear whether the Transnistrian government will accept the offer.
On January 1, 2025, Ukraine stopped the transit of Russian gas through its territory to Europe with the goal of cutting down on Russia's revenue for the Ukrainian war.
At the same time, Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom also announced that it would stop supplying Moldova, citing that the country had not yet paid off all its debts. This ended a decades-long model of Russia's gas support for the breakaway region.
The gas cut has caused an energy crisis in Transnistria, forcing most industries to close, causing job losses and preventing about 1,500 apartment buildings from accessing heating and hot water systems; 72,000 private households without gas services.
At the time, the EU and the moldovan government called on the Transnistrian government to accept alternative energy supplies from Europe and provide humanitarian assistance to Transnistria, but the proposal was rejected.
Moldova's gas supply contract with Russia remains valid until October 2026, but since 2022, the moldovese government has taken gas from European suppliers, leaving Russian gas primarily for the breakaway region of Transnistria.
In January, Russia proposed resuming supplies via alternative routes if Moldova had paid off its outstanding debts. However, both sides are in dispute over the amount - Russia demands $709 million, while Moldova insists it owes only $8.6 million.
Moldova, which is currently an EU candidate, is preparing to open negotiations this spring, hoping that its European integration process could contribute to the settlement of the Transnistria problem.
