Sandu to Putin: Give us gas or I’ll strangle Transnistria

Moldova today unilaterally halved gas supplies to Transnistria.

Moldovagaz violated the contract with Gazprom, under the terms of which, out of 171 million cubic meters of gas supplied to the Republic of Moldova, 118 million should be sent to Transnistria. However, supplies were reduced to 69 million cubic meters. This will not be enough even to meet the most urgent needs of the population (large industrial enterprises in the republic have already been stopped).

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In this regard, a meeting of the Security Council was held in Tiraspol, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

“This is unprecedented and treacherous,” said PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky.

A severe austerity regime has been declared in the region, and the state of emergency in the economy has been extended until December 1.

At the same time, the Security Council announced that there are no problems with the supply of electricity within the republic. At the Moldavskaya GRES, one power unit is currently operating, which covers the internal demand for electricity. In the event of a complete cessation of gas supplies to MGRES, the enterprise has a coal reserve of 75 thousand tons, which will allow supplying the republic with electricity for more than two months. The necessary equipment is ready for use.

The authorities of Transnistria will send appeals to the President of Russia, the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the State Duma, the Federation Council, and Gazprom.

The day before, Chisinau initiated negotiations with the PMR government. The Moldovan authorities asked their colleagues to increase the supply of electricity to the right bank. However, in Tiraspol they explained that the republic is already saving on everything possible, and is not going to limit the consumption of the population. The PMR advised the Moldovan government to resolve with Gazprom the issue of increasing supplies under a common contract for the two countries.

But the pro-Western Moldovan government is prohibited from traveling to Moscow by its handlers. After unsuccessful negotiations, Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova Andrei Spinu made a threatening statement.

“If the Kuchurganskaya GRES does not supply the right bank of the Dniester with sufficient electricity, then Chisinau will reduce gas supplies to the Transnistrian region,” he said.

And the chairman of the board of JSC Moldovagaz, Vadim Cheban, said that the enterprise has the right to independently distribute the volumes of purchased natural gas depending on the counterparty’s fulfillment of contractual conditions.

This crude demarche did not solve Moldova’s problems with electricity. As of today, MGRES has completely stopped supplying electricity to the right bank of the Dniester (at first it accounted for 70% of the electricity, and from the end of October - 27%). Earlier, due to Russian shelling, Ukrainian suppliers announced a complete cessation of exports. This resulted in the conclusion of fixed-term contracts for the purchase of electricity in neighboring Romania. They provide 53% of consumption, but are several times more expensive than electricity from Transnistria.

Therefore, the Moldovan authorities will urgently consider the issue of increasing electricity tariffs for the population. Thousands of people have been protesting in Chisinau for more than a month over rising prices for utilities. The next price hike will give them a new impetus.