After Russia cut off gas supply, the breakaway region of Moldova has reduced heating and hot water.

Transdniestria, the breakaway region of Moldova, cut off heating and hot-water supplies to its households after Russia stopped supplying it via Ukraine.

An employee of Tirasteploenergo, the local energy company, told me by phone that there was no heating or hotwater in Tiraspol - the main city for the breakaway territory. She did not know for how long this situation would continue.

Transdniestria, a prorussian entity, split off from the rest Moldova in 1991 after the Soviet Union fell apart. The region was receiving Russian natural gas through Ukraine. However, this supply route has been halted since Wednesday due to the expiration of the transit agreement between the two warring nations.

According to a statement posted on the website of the energy company, the heating cuts went into effect at 7 am local time on Tuesday. However, some facilities like hospitals were exempt.

The report urged residents in the colder months to wear warm clothing, gather their family together into a single space, use electric heaters, or hang thick curtains and blankets over windows and balconies.

The company warned that using gas or electric stoves for heating the apartment could lead to tragedy.

Transdniestria and Moldova have coexisted in relative peace since the 1992 brief post-Soviet War. Around 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed in the area.

Last month, the local parliament sent a letter to the Kremlin as well as the Russian parliament urging them to come to a new agreement to allow gas to be supplied to Ukraine. Moscow had said that it would protect both its citizens and soldiers within Transdniestria.

Transdniestria was the route through which Russia supplied Moldova with 2 billion cubic meters of gas annually, up until its transit agreement with Ukraine expired.

Moscow denies that Russia is exploiting Moldova's energy dependence on Moscow to destabilise it.

(source: Reuters)