Moldova initiated emergency gas supplies to the breakaway Transnistria region on February 1, aiming to avert a potential humanitarian crisis after Russian gas deliveries to Europe were halted in January.
According to Mr. Vadim Ceban, interim director of Moldovagaz company, gas delivery began at 8:30 a.m. on February 1 local time with a volume sufficient to maintain pipeline pressure, Europa Libera reported.
On January 31, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean announced that the European Commission would allocate 30 million euros to purchase gas for Transnistria. He later said that the government had reached a new agreement with the EU, doubling the initial amount from 30 million euros to 64 million euros.
The Moldovan government has pledged to supply 3 million cubic meters of gas under an agreement signed with the Tiraspoltransgaz gas company on January 29. The Transnistrian government has pledged to return the borrowed gas by March 1.
Transnistrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky has described the gas as a technical loan rather than humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the EU has proposed providing gas as humanitarian assistance directly through the Moldovan government, although it is unclear whether the Transnistrian authorities will accept this offer.
On January 1, 2025, Ukraine stopped transiting Russian gas through its territory to Europe with the aim of cutting off Russia's revenue for the Ukrainian war.
At the same time, Russia's Gazprom also announced that it would stop supplying Moldova, citing unpaid debts. This ended a decades-long pattern of Russian gas support for the breakaway region.
The gas cutoff caused an energy crisis in Transnistria, forcing most industries to close, causing job losses and leaving about 1,500 apartment buildings without access to heating and hot water; 72,000 private households were without gas service.
At that time, the EU and the Moldovan government called on the Transnistrian authorities to accept alternative energy supplies from Europe and humanitarian assistance to Transnistria, but this offer was rejected.
Moldova's gas supply contract with Russia remains in effect until October 2026, but since 2022 the Moldovan government has been taking gas from European suppliers, leaving Russian gas mainly for the breakaway region of Transnistria.
In January, Russia offered to resume supplies via alternative routes if Moldova paid its outstanding debts. However, both sides disputed the amount – Russia demanded $709 million, while Moldova insisted it owed only $8.6 million.
Moldova, now an EU candidate country, is preparing to open negotiations this spring, hoping that its European integration process can contribute to resolving the Transnistria issue.
