Moldova's gas supply cut off amid Ukraine-Russia transit deal expiration

The cutoff was imposed two days before the transit deal runs out, following Ukraine’s refusal to extend it in wartime. It has sparked fears of mass New Year power cuts in Moldova, an ex-Soviet state between Ukraine and Romania Authorities in Moldova’s separatist Transdniestria region on Sunday cut off gas supplies to several state institutions as a deal allowing Russian gas to transit through Ukraine comes to an end at the close of the year. Russia supplies Moldova with about 2 billion cubic metres of gas per year, which has been piped via Ukraine to pro-Russian separatist Transdniestria, where a thermal plant produces cheap power that is sold to government-controlled parts of Moldova. Parlicov dismissed Gazprom’s claim Moldova had accumulated arrears of $709 million, saying that since 2022 all gas shipped to Moldova had been directed straight to separatist Transdniestria. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean has condemned Gazprom’s decision ahead of the total shutdown of Russian gas exports via Ukraine, also intended for Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Italy.