The separatist region of Transnistria, located in Moldova, imposed a second day of rolling blackouts on Saturday due to an energy crisis triggered by a halt in Russian gas supplies. The pro-Moscow enclave has struggled to provide heating and hot water to its residents since Wednesday, following Moscow’s decision to cut gas deliveries to Moldova over a financial dispute.
The Transnistrian government announced via Telegram that rolling blackouts lasting three hours would affect parts of the capital, Tiraspol, as well as smaller towns and villages.
Vadim Krasnoselsky, the region’s pro-Moscow leader, warned that the blackouts might need to be extended as energy supplies dwindle. “Today it’s three hours. Specialists recommend increasing the pauses in electricity supply to four hours starting tomorrow,” he stated.
The region’s primary power plant has already transitioned to burning coal to generate electricity. However, the energy shortage has severely impacted daily life and industry in the breakaway state, with authorities urging residents to gather firewood for warmth.
The crisis began when Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy giant, cut off gas to Moldova over a financial dispute with the government in Chisinau. This coincided with the expiration of a key gas transit agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, further complicating energy supply to the region.
Transnistria, home to fewer than half a million people, has operated as a de facto pro-Russian state since the Soviet Union’s collapse but remains internationally recognized as part of Moldova. The situation has left the region in turmoil, with much of its industry at a standstill.
Moldova, a small ex-Soviet nation situated between Ukraine and Romania, is pursuing European Union membership—a move that has drawn Moscow’s ire.
