A week after the cessation of vital deliveries of Russian gas, due to a debt to settle with the giant Gazprom, Transdniestria finds itself in a situation of “energy” and “humanitarian crisis”, a local official said on Wednesday.
Transdniestria, a pro-Russian separatist territory in Moldova, is in a situation of “energy” and “humanitarian crisis”, a local official was alarmed on Wednesday, a week after the cessation of vital deliveries of Russian gas.
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Introduction of power cuts
The Russian giant Gazprom has until now supplied Transdniestria via the local supplier Tiraspoltransgaz, without this company paying for these deliveries. The secessionist entity sent payment requests to Chisinau, gradually increasing Moldova’s debt to Gazprom.
The conflict over the debt to be settled towards Gazprom (estimated at more than 700 million dollars by Moscow but estimated at around 9 million by Chisinau) pushed Russia to turn off the tap from January 1. Since then, the Transdniestrian authorities have had to introduce power cuts and shut down many industries.
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Only 24 days of battery life
During a meeting on Wednesday, the local official in charge of economic issues, Sergei Obolonik, affirmed that the small territory is plunged into an “energy crisis, but also a humanitarian crisis”. According to him, 13 million m3 of gas were put in reserve before the cut and still make it possible to supply certain infrastructures and gas cookers in the kitchens of residential buildings. But this reserve only allows for 24 days, said the manager.
The crisis is accompanied by an explosion in electricity consumption because residents use individual electric heaters to compensate, explained Sergei Obolonik. The rest of Moldova has so far been spared from the cuts, notably thanks to help from neighboring Romania and after having taken measures to reduce its consumption.
