Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria has shut down most of its industry following the end of a gas transit deal between Russia and Ukraine, local news website Tiraspol News said Thursday, quoting Transnistria’s Economic Development Minister Sergey Obolonik.
According to Obolonik, all industry other than food production has been wound down temporarily with the region now facing severe power shortages.
Both the Ukrainian government and Russian energy giant Gazprom announced that the company’s natural gas exports to Europe via Ukrainian pipelines had come to an end on Wednesday after a five-year transit deal between the countries expired at midnight.
Residents of Transnistria were also left without central heating and hot water on Wednesday, the local energy company Tirasteploenergo said.
Moldova imposed a two-month state of emergency on the energy sector in mid-December in anticipation of energy shortages during the winter months. The same decision was taken in Transnistria.
Gazprom also announced that it would halt gas supplies to Moldova on 1 January due to debts owed by Moldova’s gas company Moldovagaz. The authorities in the capital Chișinău dispute this and have accused Russia of attempting to destabilise the country.
Transnistria, which is internationally recognised as part of Moldova, declared independence in 1990, leading to a civil war with Chișinău following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The predominantly Russian-speaking region borders Ukraine and is home to a sizeable Russian minority, as well as a Russian military base where around 1,500 troops are stationed.