Gas crisis in Transnistria political tool Moscow

In Transnistria, the energy crisis has been ongoing for a week, which is due to Russia's simplification of gas supply to this separatist region of Moldova. As a result, the main industrial plants, including the steelworks in Rybnica or the fabric and clothing production of Tirotex, must suspend operations. On 14 November, generating electricity for the full region and primarily gas-fired Moldovan GRES power plant switched to solid fuel (anthracyt) with only tiny stocks. According to available data, about 1.8 to 1.9 million m presently scope Transnistria.³ Blue fuel per day, which means only about two-thirds of the standard volume.

The financial supply of gas to Transnistria Moscow seeks to keep the parastate, and consequently, the full Moldova, in a permanent state of instability. The simplification or possible interruption of the supply of natural material during the winter period may be aimed at triggering a humanitarian disaster in the region and compromising Chisinau by accusing ineffective efforts to address the problems.

Comment

• The energy crisis in Transnistria caused Russia, which did not regulate financial obligations towards the gas supplier for the region. Since February 2025, natural material has been supplied to it by a Hungarian MET company and paid by entities associated with Moscow registered in Dubai. Earlier, by the end of 2024, the blue fuel for Transnistrians had straight sent Gazprom through a pipeline moving through the territory of Ukraine, but since January this became impossible due to the non-extension by Kiev of the transit contract with the giant (see. Moldova: Russian gas crisis game in Transnistria).
• The crisis is likely to last no more than a twelve days. He's not on the first 1 recently. In October, erstwhile the reason was a protracted change representing the Russian interests of the payer company to another, besides registered in Dubai, the supply interruption lasted 2 weeks. At the time, not only did the local manufacture halt working, but besides temporarily reduce any public services, specified as hot water supply of housing connected to the urban heating network or LPG supply.
• By limiting gas supply to Transnistria, Moscow may search to destabilise Moldova. Managing specified a major crisis would not only consume the scarce resources of the state administration focused on the negotiation process with the EU. It would besides hit the pro-western ruling PAS party. The opposition would place her liable for the problems in the region, presenting the fresh Moldovan government as ineffective (see IP/10/27). A technocrat for tough times? Moldova with a fresh government). It is so expected that akin disruptions in gas supply will happen respective more times in the coming months, especially erstwhile Russia assumes an increased request period during the winter season.
• The Transnistrian economy is on the verge of collapse. Even if the Russian side is on time to regulate its obligations to MET, gas is supplied in quantities importantly smaller than before 2025. The standard volume (when the costs of blue fuel are covered on time) is presently 3 million m³ regular – just over half of the volume the parastate received from Gazprom until the end of transit through Ukraine (approximately 5.7 million m)³ daily). As a result, the separatist manufacture of the region does not have adequate natural material to make full productivity. This reduces its productivity and negatively affects taxation and customs revenues (exports from Transnistria from January to October were 42% lower than in the same period last year). Moreover, the sale of (free of charge) gas to local customers at the time by the regional authorities generated crucial profits that fed the budget, being a de facto subsidy to offset the deficit. At present, due to the crucial simplification in supply, the parastate faces expanding financial difficulties.