In the pro-Russian region of Moldova, thousands are left without gas or heat
Authorities said that more than 51,000 households in the pro-Russian separatist region of Moldova were without gas, and 1,500 apartment blocks had no heat for winter. This was after Ukraine refused to renew a transit agreement last week with Russia.
Transdniestria (a separatist region dominated by Russian speakers along the Ukrainian border) had been receiving Russian gas through Ukraine for decades. It used it to produce electricity that was sold to the rest Moldova and provided 80% of its power.
This gas, along with the flow to Central and Eastern Europe that ceased on New Year's Day was cut off after Kyiv refused a transit agreement that had persisted for nearly three years during the all-out conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Transdniestrian officials announced on Telegram Monday that gas was cut off to 122 settlements and only a small amount of gas is being provided for cooking in some apartments. The authorities ordered that schools would not reopen following the winter break. At least 131 kindergartens and schools were left without heat.
Vadim Krsnoselsky said in a televised address that there is no one person in Transdniestria responsible for this situation.
The main Russian support for the separatist region in Moldova, which escaped the central government's control in a short war in 1992, has been gas piped across Ukraine.
Moldova, a country with a prowestern government seeking membership in NATO and the EU, accuses Moscow, among other things, of trying to undermine the country's independence by manipulating separatists. Russia denies this.
Since the Russian gas supply was stopped with the start of the new year, Moldova met its power requirements by importing around 60% of its energy needs from Romania. It claims to have offered gas supplies to the separatists.
Krasnoselsky called the reports of an offer of aid "lies" stating that Moldova's aim was to "strangulate" the enclave.
He said that neither Moldova nor other countries had offered assistance. He has encouraged residents to use wood for fires.
The Moldovan government has blamed Russia's largest gas exporter Gazprom for the energy crisis, claiming that it refused to supply gas contracted to Moldova through an alternative route.
Gazprom announced that it would stop exports to Moldova as of January 1, due to unpaid Moldovan bills, which Moscow claims total $709 millions. Moldova disputes this and says the figure is $8.6million. Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Peter Graff
(source: Reuters)
